tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37538527544355747712024-03-19T15:31:20.476-07:00just michela's journeySummer ramblings, Semester in Italy, Prayers, and Life in general.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-77131126114762072012013-07-02T19:50:00.000-07:002013-07-02T19:50:57.099-07:00101 things in 1001 days - waiting for update<h2 class="date-header" style="background-color: #f6e7b0; color: #515151; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;">
Tuesday, July 10, 2012</h2>
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101 things in 1001 days</h3>
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<b><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">101 things in 1001 days</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Starting</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">: June 13, 2012 <b>Ending</b>: March 11, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Note: Completion of all or any of these items does not equate with living a full and meaningful life. Living a full meaningful life can only be accomplished with God's grace and by following the vocation and path that He has laid out for me. These items are just for fun and/or to help me become a better person in the little things.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Italics means that the task is in the process</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bold means that it has been completed!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR THE MIND:</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></b><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">Read The Help </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(would totally read it again and recommend it to anyone)</span></b><i style="font-size: 12pt;"></i></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finish the Hunger Games Series</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read the Lord of the Rings Trilogy</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go to court with Dad</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Once a month for a year look for graduate programs in</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Clinical Social Work (0/12)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">6.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read a Dave Ramsey book</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">7.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">Read 1 book a month (5/33)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">8.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take an advertising and Marketing class</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">9.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Take a class on Law (definitely child advocacy if possible)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR OTHERS:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">10.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Visit Grandma Garvey in Medford</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">11.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">Write 1 happy letter every month to a different friend (6/33)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">12.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Finish Sofia's cell phone cover</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">13.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go on a sibling date with each of my siblings (6/8)</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">14.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make friends scrapbook</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">15.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make a scrapbook for Mom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">16.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give Mom a "Just for Fun" present</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">17.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Smile at strangers on the street everyday for a week. (0/7)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">18.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">See grandma and grandpa in Pheonix</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">19.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Visit Brianna in Albuquerque</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR THE SOUL:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">20.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">21.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Visit Little Sisters of the Poor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">22.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Read all of Paul's letters</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">23.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a LDM with the family</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">24.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Have a LDM with friends in LV</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">25.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">Read the whole Bible (starting with the book of Job)</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: #ea9999;"> in no particular order</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">26.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go on a silent retreat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR THE FUN OF IT:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">27.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Throw a "Favorite Things Party"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">28.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make knitted cable scarf</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">29.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Learn to ride a long board</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">30.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go on a tour of a city on a road bike</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">31.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Visit Maggie in Jeff City (To happen in November!!!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">32.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go on a "fancy" date</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">33.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go camping with the girlfriends</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">34.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Go on a boat ride</b>.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">35.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">36.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Try a new drink at the bar.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">37.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">See a musical/play (saw Taming of the Shrew in London!)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">38.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Throw a surprise Party</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">39.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go Salsa Dancing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">40.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make up a new word</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">41.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ride the Buffalo Bill Roller Coaster in Primm</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">42.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Picnic on Lone Mountain</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">43.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go water skiing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">44.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Camp on the beach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">45.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go to Michael Buble concert</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR THE BODY:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">46.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Do a tri-athalon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">47.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Run a 1/2 marathon with Julianna</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">48.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Work out 5 days a week for a month</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">49.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Work on posture!</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">50.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Go gluten free for a month</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">51.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Run 2 half marathons I have never run before</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">52.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Run a 5k in 22 mins.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BECAUSE I SHOULD/want to:</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">53.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal;"> </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Deactivate my Facebook for 1 month </span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">(Started June 13, 2012 End: July 13, 2012) failed: try again!)</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">54.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Scrapbook Sophomore year at BC</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">55.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Scrapbook pictures from Study Abroad</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">56.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Plan weekend trips while in Italy</span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">57.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Accomplish something on my Pinterest "To Do List" Board</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">58.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Try one new recipe every month on Pinterest</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> (0/33)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">59.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make and stick to budget for 2 months in a row (0/2)</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">60.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make bed every day for a year (84?/365)</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">61.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give blood</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">62.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Memorize a song on the guitar</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">63.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Drink wine in Rome</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">64.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Graduate college</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">65.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Golf 18 holes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">66.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Learn how to play poker</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">67.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Learn how to play blackjack</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR MYSELF:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">68.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make skirt for myself</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">69.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Make knitted cable scarf</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">70.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Buy a pair of skinny jeans</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">71.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Buy a pair of wedges and wear them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">72.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get a pedicure</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">73.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get hair styled for a Party or big event</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">FOR THE FUTURE:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">74.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Save money for a car</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">75.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Put $50 toward student loans every month of the school year</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">76.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><i><span style="color: #ea9999;">Live in the present, Trust in God, and Hope for the future.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">MORE:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">77. Take a class to learn how to write HTML</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">78. Go night golfing</span><br />
<b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: Arial;">79. Help teach Julianna how to drive</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">80. Drive a Vespa in Europe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">81. Do a random act of kindness everyday for a week (0/7)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">82. Road trip up & down PCH in Ca.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><b>83. Go wine tasting (in Siena, Italy)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>So obviously there aren't 101 things on this list, but I did that on purpose! </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Now I can add more things to my list during those 1001 days! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Anyone want to accomplish one of my goals with me? Let me know! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>*Note: I really like checking things off of lists</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>**Self Reminder: If I accomplish any/all of these things I will be happy</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i> and if I DON'T accomplish any/all of these things </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I will still be happy, because I know I'm loved =]</i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-69633813685297973282013-01-26T15:46:00.000-08:002013-01-27T13:36:35.458-08:00Walking, Talking, Holding Hands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>jmj</i></div>
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Today as I was walking home I was greeted by two friends, whom I will call Molly and Jack, walking towards me, holding hands. They are the cutest couple I know! Every time I see them a big grin breaks out on my face.</div>
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Their love for one another is so pure and selfless and glowing with the love of God. I just can't say enough how beautiful of a couple they are. When I see them I don't become aware of my own singleness, but instead feel such joy and love for them and for God. Their relationship is a beautiful example to me of a godly, holy couple. It's an example of God's love!</div>
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And then God gave me a beautiful insight that just as I see Molly and Jack walking down the street, holding hands, so too God is walking hand in hand with me. In my heart I know that I am not alone as I walk down this street. Jesus is walking right next to me, holding my hand, letting me lean on Him when I need to, telling me how beautiful I am and how loved I truly am. Wow! The image was so clear! Jesus really is the best boyfriend ever! </div>
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So to all my couple friends out there, thank you for loving each other and being a reminder to everyone of God's love. And to all of my single friends, when you feel alone and want to be walking with a loved one, feel God's hand in yours, imagine His step completely in sync with yours, and remember you are never alone. </div>
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<i>-Michela </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSqccddAD1aIrhDxVlj-rbi_malSvqVwu7P0mdGc3w6UZKjkNaLCoqt4POBtD8qumvwmN80tgbp4fj-qgsaFSxBm4udKepy0n9rEchpkJWlXmk971NOmZWHzAHtmh7dCcW_Jp5DMQITt_/s1600/boy-couple-cute-girl-hands-holding-hands-Favim.com-69905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSqccddAD1aIrhDxVlj-rbi_malSvqVwu7P0mdGc3w6UZKjkNaLCoqt4POBtD8qumvwmN80tgbp4fj-qgsaFSxBm4udKepy0n9rEchpkJWlXmk971NOmZWHzAHtmh7dCcW_Jp5DMQITt_/s1600/boy-couple-cute-girl-hands-holding-hands-Favim.com-69905.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: center;">google images Source: </span><a href="http://likechurch.tumblr.com/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #1071d1; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Liberation Sans', FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: initial;" target="_blank">likechurch.tumblr.com</a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-44929115415562897632012-12-24T21:32:00.002-08:002012-12-24T21:32:50.274-08:00All God's Children: Reflections<i>jmj</i><br />
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<i>It's been a while since I posted anything. I have been busy enjoying being back in the good 'ol U.S. of A! I have loved every bit of being in 'Merica! Paying in dollars, eating In'n'Out, speaking English and using my blow dryer (random, but seriously it's the little things). Since I've been home I have had a lot of time to reflect on this past semester. Here is my final reflection from this semester...</i><br />
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Initially when I thought of my semester abroad I envisioned the timeless art, the picturesque landscapes, the exotic foods and the historic churches. When I continued to reflect on this semester abroad I realized that the things that impacted me the most were the everyday people I met. From my interactions with strangers, acquaintances and new friends, I became aware of the beauty and charity of people of every culture. Here are a few of the people I met that have left a lasting impression on me.<br />
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This semester I had a strong desire to meet local Italians and get a feel for what life was like in their shoes. God knew this desire and answered it in the form of Chiara Braccini. To be honest, when I first met Chiara I was intimidated. To my fascinated eyes I thought that all Italians were super cool, both in style and in attitude, and weren’t too impressed with American students. I thought for sure she would be the same. Instead I found that she was super cool as I expected, but also very kind and friendly. Her beautiful smile put me at ease and her friendly demeanor made me realize that we were just two college-age students from different countries who enjoyed each other’s company. During my time in Italy she introduced me to her friends from the university and grade school. She wanted me to be able to meet other Italians and to practice my Italian. Chiara’s hospitable and light-hearted attitude put everyone at ease and it made for an enjoyable evening in the city. Chiara was the first one to show me true Italian kindness and hospitality from someone my own age.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHPFUluWjWCRBZUlnw0w1KIq5CNmFpr_nMjOK5ZfohrYWfV6mIZ5MehLvh2qWOv2yAu8-7X3gShDCGlF_5nfMt-i2yaoPml9RGeNuEVtS5uBcn9CeRKguJyhiw_0RdNvK1z-tM36lEQmL/s1600/Winetasting+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHPFUluWjWCRBZUlnw0w1KIq5CNmFpr_nMjOK5ZfohrYWfV6mIZ5MehLvh2qWOv2yAu8-7X3gShDCGlF_5nfMt-i2yaoPml9RGeNuEVtS5uBcn9CeRKguJyhiw_0RdNvK1z-tM36lEQmL/s1600/Winetasting+008.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Chiara and I with 2 of her friends in front of Piazza Pitti</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A group
of people that left an impression on me were the staff at Villa Morghen. Sharing everyday life with them taught me a
lot, and I have so many great memories from my time in the Villa. In particular,
Marina, the housekeeper, showed me so much love. The language gap was very
apparent in our interactions, but she loved me so well in spite of it. She would often call me “Tesoro,” a familiar
term of endearment in Italian, and always greeted me when I came for meals. I truly learned to appreciate our silent
conversations and unspoken appreciation for one another. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbUNxjpFkd3jXcasjgyTvpuo__oa4J9WJBGYQFeC3SgSe2LPJZ4mc5Q4BFAHdpyRdqVtP87L5yDHR4pU4ekO0oGV-xR4UGMNCZOusmloBUfdGXtFLD9BvmfT20QETCCspXP-6AcIukCnu/s1600/Winetasting+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbUNxjpFkd3jXcasjgyTvpuo__oa4J9WJBGYQFeC3SgSe2LPJZ4mc5Q4BFAHdpyRdqVtP87L5yDHR4pU4ekO0oGV-xR4UGMNCZOusmloBUfdGXtFLD9BvmfT20QETCCspXP-6AcIukCnu/s1600/Winetasting+044.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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Marina was not the only one in the Villa that left an impression on me. Angelus and Giovanni will always have a special place in my heart as the first two people that welcomed me into the Villa on September 10th. Giovanni, in all his seriousness and intimidating persona, showed his love to me through humble service. I will always be grateful for his attempt at locating my pajamas that disappeared with the linens. After two weeks of inquiring into the whereabouts of my pajamas, he finally told me that my “pajamas are lost forever.” I couldn’t be mad or sad because I saw how much of a servant’s heart he had and how he wanted to help in such a trivial matter of my life. Angelus, in all her joy and spunkiness, showed me love and kindness through her thoughtfulness and curiosity. I loved this ease of sharing that we had. Not only did she serve through her words, but she also served through her actions. She was always the first to know if a student was ill and would suggest some remedy or comfort food. It was so obvious that she cared so much for all of us students by her joy and desire to serve.They showed me how to love through sharing life and serving others in the big and little things.<br />
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Another couple I met in Italy left me with so much joy, I can't help but to share it! While in line for confession at Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi I met an adorable Irish couple. The husband offered me a holy hard with a prayer from a saint to make a good confession. As I was entering the confessional he said to me, “I’ll pray for you to make a good confession, and you can pray for me.” This man’s faith in the communion of saints and in the sacraments was so beautiful. Even in this 5 minute encounter, this couple left a lasting impression on me.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Some
of the people that impacted me I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> get the pleasure of meeting, but I was
given the gift of seeing them live their lives well. A few examples come to mind. To read about these beautiful people check out my blog on </span></span><a href="http://justmichelasjourney.blogspot.com/2012/09/quest-for-beauty-italian-hearts.html" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank">Italian Hearts</a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. </span></span></span><br />
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So many people influenced my time abroad and impacted me forever. Overall I witnessed God’s love through the many different people that I met, experienced the love and kindness of many different cultures and learned to appreciate the universality of charity. For some reason, God put these people in my life to teach me something. Whether it was how to receive love differently, not to judge based on appearance, or to just appreciate the little things in life, all of these people were placed in my life for the exact purpose that they accomplished. </div>
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From this experience I continued to learn to see Christ in every person that I meet, no matter their outward appearance. These experiences have convicted me to avoid judgment and accept differences. With or without Faith, they showed me Christ through their goodness. From this experience I have a growing desire to boldly invest in others lives and show interest in their experiences. From these encounters I have developed an understanding of how not to judge others, searching for the good in everyone. Whatever path that I embark on after college I hope to take these lessons with me to build up the body of Christ.</div>
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God bless you and your family during this Christmas and Holiday season. I hope that you have enjoyed following my journey through Italy and beyond this semester! It has been such a pleasure to share this part of my journey with you. I'm excited to share the rest with you all! </div>
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Love and Prayers,</div>
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Michela</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-2400711166092687762012-12-24T10:26:00.000-08:002012-12-24T10:26:07.635-08:00Italy To Do List:<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i>jmj</i></span></h4>
<h4>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">October 2012:</span></h4>
<h4>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Things I want to do before this semester is over:</span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gkaqY3jBBZdN11W_td40nVEHKeuCgIRmXtey0eb17y2sieIIwImSTpuPceXMyuIuR6J5uKdX05h6t4t3PTmLHNUsb5GGV9EPYJHpPkC4AFcliSoScWwBeLaU3zg4BTQqZbpuPRCUcBon/s1600/girls+in+front+of+the+villa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gkaqY3jBBZdN11W_td40nVEHKeuCgIRmXtey0eb17y2sieIIwImSTpuPceXMyuIuR6J5uKdX05h6t4t3PTmLHNUsb5GGV9EPYJHpPkC4AFcliSoScWwBeLaU3zg4BTQqZbpuPRCUcBon/s1600/girls+in+front+of+the+villa.JPG" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Bkgzcp8rkyULO7KmElfPrC8yfVi3SdyxAtnsSNabewRDRXQUCdO4e6Zl4OmR29fPCOMT7uspBuTitGqTyjCKezPr_dnrNQmRa-gPzTXGRrxc9qzn9sDtYe-w_jwmoIsV6i2iMqN5rCn/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6Bkgzcp8rkyULO7KmElfPrC8yfVi3SdyxAtnsSNabewRDRXQUCdO4e6Zl4OmR29fPCOMT7uspBuTitGqTyjCKezPr_dnrNQmRa-gPzTXGRrxc9qzn9sDtYe-w_jwmoIsV6i2iMqN5rCn/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+012.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC2qQQUWoGn5ca7HNfwtJZTnxHe9ljKhsHJqi3k27MioO2bVW6SeDngoTrPhqif71CbLETBZShu9ezd3tIdJo1GXfG76iUewM4bywt7F8m4BUKdDohgN0Lgr977b05iA3H2EyzHoc7vDA/s1600/Winetasting+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC2qQQUWoGn5ca7HNfwtJZTnxHe9ljKhsHJqi3k27MioO2bVW6SeDngoTrPhqif71CbLETBZShu9ezd3tIdJo1GXfG76iUewM4bywt7F8m4BUKdDohgN0Lgr977b05iA3H2EyzHoc7vDA/s1600/Winetasting+016.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Go to the Mexican food restaurant, Tijuana. </strike></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Go to l'apertivo in Florence. </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(Happy hour)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ride a bike around Florence. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Day trip to Lucca, bike around wall.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Go out with Chiara and Italian friends</strike></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Run down the Arno river</strike> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(walking down the Arno was good enough)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Sit and read a book in Piazzale Michelangelo</strike> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(Didn't read a book, but I had a good conversation with Annie and Maddie!)</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMguigqhVj222O9KDyCj-vG2dGolZMnaXjBUz_G9SGMomRDQHZZ1gwl99IO2-ruTQz3qz7AxsA1Z6iSCIVIXZf5SL8PCjEZf7efArUGdD3mn3sZpnAI-uDl1kYQegrHr4fnJthb3jdIM80/s1600/Winetasting+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMguigqhVj222O9KDyCj-vG2dGolZMnaXjBUz_G9SGMomRDQHZZ1gwl99IO2-ruTQz3qz7AxsA1Z6iSCIVIXZf5SL8PCjEZf7efArUGdD3mn3sZpnAI-uDl1kYQegrHr4fnJthb3jdIM80/s1600/Winetasting+042.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Hike to Fiesole</strike> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(Didn't get to visit, but I took the bus!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Go to Palazzo Pitti </strike></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(didn't go inside the museum, but got to peak into the courtyard thanks to Chiara)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Buy wine, bread and cheese and have a picnic in a park. </strike></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(Enjoyed a sack lunch in the park with Becca in Fiesole)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Go to La Fiorentina Soccer match. </strike></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqQjQXb8x-kXAVEdgUM-cD-1pzmm4Z7GLKXlv0HSwsQEquNAyvlJVEL0q0vb-J810Hoep_ZG2fg4vwd7tNPgaTnZiJuVQjcy5O9SGfeJ-tFonn13iprgPyOS3oTgJzkD5kJbKghxKOga8/s1600/Winetasting+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIqQjQXb8x-kXAVEdgUM-cD-1pzmm4Z7GLKXlv0HSwsQEquNAyvlJVEL0q0vb-J810Hoep_ZG2fg4vwd7tNPgaTnZiJuVQjcy5O9SGfeJ-tFonn13iprgPyOS3oTgJzkD5kJbKghxKOga8/s1600/Winetasting+024.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Have a girl's night with Jennifer</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Order the "Semester Panini" at Desiderio's Cafe</strike></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Visit the Garcia's in Rapallo</strike> </span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">(Won't make it to Rapallo, but visited Enrica in Milan instead!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><strike>Go wine tasting</strike></span></li>
</ul>
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Wow! This semester went by so fast! I can't believe all the amazing things I was able to do. I feel so blessed to have had all of those experiences with such great people. Even though I didn't get to do everything that I had on my "To Do List" I still had such a full, wonderful time in Italy. I only wish I had made my "To Do List" at the beginning of the semester (Take note future study-abroaders). The rest of the things I will have to save for my next trip to Europe =]</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Michela</i></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-90034436545741767022012-11-12T11:03:00.001-08:002012-11-12T11:03:51.944-08:00The "Average Week" Post<i>jmj</i><br />
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I was reminded that I really haven't shared with everyone back home what a normal day/week is like here in Florence! (Thanks for the reminder, Christie!) You may be surprised that my days and weeks are not full of art museums, vespa rides and gelato runs. Nonetheless, I hope this post is not a disappointment about life in Florence, but rather a look into my semi-average life here.<br />
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<b>Average weekday: </b><br />
8:00 a.m. - Wake up, get ready for the day, eat breakfast (Same thing every day: toast with jelly, hard boiled egg, juice, yogurt and cereal), pray (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 a.m.I usually go to Daily Mass in Settignano. The old ladies there are the greatest!).<br />
9:30 a.m. - Walk downstairs for Italian class (Yeah, I'm spoiled).<br />
11:00 a.m. - Coffee break (I usually just drink juice. Even Italy can't turn me into a coffee addict)<br />
12:30 p.m. - 3 hours of Italian class: Finito!<br />
1:00 p.m. - Finally Lunch Time! (Why do they eat so late?)<br />
2:00 p.m. - Theology of Pope Benedict XVI<br />
4:30 p.m. - Done with class for the day! On Mondays we have a debriefing on the schedule of events for the week. Then it's time to run on the hilly streets of Settignano, exercise, check email/facebook, plan the next weekend trip, do my laundry (in the bidet), and on special days I take bus 10 from Settignano and go into Florence to explore, shop or run errands.<br />
7:00 p.m. - Dinner! (Usually I'm famished by this time. Also, there is never a shortage of pasta at dinner! American food, Here I come!)<br />
8:00 p.m. - Start homework, procrastinate some more, or maybe even Skype my family or Maggie!<br />
11:00 - 12:00 p.m. - Go to bed and do it again! (Don't ask me what I did during those last few hours, I couldn't tell you)<br />
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<b>Special Events during the week:</b><br />
One week during the month we take 2 days and go into Florence for our Art and Culture class. We go to museums and churches around Florence to see the many beautiful works of art and historical sites.These days are always very interesting, but very tiring. Our teacher, Francesco, calls us "turtles" (Because we "walk too slow." I'm convinced he was a speed walker in his younger days. It shows) and tells us to "stop sleeping standing up!" It makes for an interesting day.<br />
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Monday nights we have an inspiring movie night. We have watched "The Pianist," "The Mission," "Francesco," and "La Vita Bella."<br />
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Wednesday nights we have a guest speaker who comes and talks to us. Usually it has to do with their field of work and how it relates to faith. We have heard from 2 Physicists, a midwife, a musician and an artist from Ireland. I have appreciated meeting so many faithful people who challenge us to live our faith and see God in even the smallest details of life through our respective vocations.<br />
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Thursday nights is pizza night! Dr. Pizza comes and teaches a group of students how to make pizza in the wood oven on the patio. Other students make tiramisu and then everyone enjoys the fruits of their labor! Two times this semester dinner is followed by a karaoke party. Good times.<br />
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And then comes the weekend! And that is how I have spent the majority of my time these past 8 weeks!<br />
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Today is the start of the last week I have here in Italy. On Monday I will head back to the U.S. to spend time with my family and friends for the holidays. This semester has been an amazing experience. I feel so blessed to have been able to have this experience. I have learned so much and had so many amazing experiences. Later I hope to reflect more deeply on this semester, but now my focus is on getting through finals. I can do it!<br />
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Oh look! Its 7:00 p.m. Dinner time!<br />
Ciao!<br />
Michela<br />
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P.s. Just for fun, here is the video that my Italian class made for extra credit. My Italian lip syncing skills have greatly improved these past few months!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zl5nevogDvw" width="560"></iframe> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-84604416083434482252012-11-12T09:02:00.001-08:002012-11-12T09:02:25.766-08:00Last Three Days of Good Craic // Ireland Fall Break pt. 2<i>jmj</i><br />
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<b>Fall Break Pt. 2: October 31st - November 2nd:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The last 3 days in Ireland were just a continuation of the first 3 amazing days. We saw so much! A few of my favorite memories were:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Climbing the Rock of Dunamase (The castle that Amy Adams climbs to in the movie "Leap Year." Haven't seen the movie myself, but now I really want to!) </li>
<li>Kissing the Blarney stone! Now I have the gift of gab. Watch out everyone!</li>
<li>Hanging out at O'Shea's Irish Pub for our last night in Dublin.</li>
<li>Spending Halloween in Dublin, watching people walk around in scary costumes and drinking more cider beer =]</li>
<li>Taking a tour of the Guinness Factory.</li>
<li>Learning how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness! (p.s. I've decided to leave BC and go to bar tending school, just fyi) </li>
</ul>
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Here is a video I made of some pictures from my trip! (TripWow made it pretty, I just uploaded the pictures)<br />
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<li><div style="background: #000 url(http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-06e9-5c4e-9f62/e/450a12a0fb/bg)0 0 no-repeat; border: none; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 420px;">
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<a href="http://tripwow.tripadvisor.com/tripwow/ta-06e9-5c4e-9f62" style="color: #cc6600;">Ireland! Slideshow</a>: Michela’s trip to 6 cities including and <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.it/Tourism-g186605-Dublin_County_Dublin-Vacations.html" style="color: #cc6600;">Dublino</a> was created with TripAdvisor TripWow!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In conclusion, I love Ireland. I look forward to exploring more of it's beautiful countryside and small towns. Thank you to everyone that made my Ireland Holiday a success!</span><br />
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God bless!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Michela</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-90361788287896776142012-11-07T11:48:00.000-08:002012-11-12T08:37:27.900-08:00First Tree Days of Good Craic! // Fall Break in Ireland! Pt. 1<i>jmj</i><br />
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<b>Fall Break: October 28th - October 30th</b><br />
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Welp, this is fun. I had written up my whole spiel on Ireland (the first three days at least) and was going to post it, when low and behold, I delete the entire thing. Oh well. One more lesson in patience I guess. Here is what I would like to share with you about Ireland...<br />
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Being in Ireland for more than 3 days was an amazing experience. I loved seeing more of a country than just the big cities and having time to just enjoy my surroundings and the people that I was with. It was a blessed Fall Break. I didn't know what to expect from my trip to Ireland other than beautiful landscape and English speakers with fun accents. God had a lot more in store for me than I did for myself.<br />
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From the first day that I was in Ireland I felt an abundance of joy (even abundance doesn't describe how much joy I had). It must have been something in the air, or maybe just God's love, that made me smile and feel so happy I could die! Ok, I didn't want to die, but I was <i>really </i>happy.<br />
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The first place we visited was Galway City. Galway is a really fun, young town, with a lot of things to do and see. There were street performers playing classic Irish tunes or their own songs. It was a very lively place. I enjoyed my first cup of soup and hot tea to warm me up from the cold fall day outside.<br />
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While we were in Galway I got to reconnect with a friend from High School. Kayla is student teaching in Galway for this semester and I was able to meet up with her and her friends before she headed on her own fall break trip to Italy and Germany. Seeing people from back home in foreign countries is so fun! It was a little reminder of where I come from and what is waiting for me back home.<br />
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Halloween is a huge celebration in Ireland, so the whole time we were in Galway people were dressed up in various colorful costumes, kids performed the "Thriller" dance, and Halloween parades were going on every night. It was a continuous party!<br />
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I have realized that traveling is not so much about what you see and where you go, but it's about who you are with and who you meet. I was so blessed to meet two girls on our walking tour of Galway. Lisa was from Holland and Theresa was from Austria (Salzburg to be exact, where the Sound of Music was filmed!). They are studying in Limerick, Ireland and in Galway for a holiday. It was so cool talking to them and exploring Galway with them. When we had to leave it felt like we were saying goodbye to two good friends. Hopefully our paths cross again one day!<br />
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Not only did we meet a lot of awesome fellow-travelers, but meeting the natives was awesome too! They are all so friendly and welcoming! The joy I received from being able to strike up a conversation with anyone was unmatched! I know that I am a people-person, but this trip reminded me how much I really do love people!<br />
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When in Ireland we took a 3 day tour of Southern Ireland with the Paddy Wagon Tour Company. It was awesome! We saw so many small towns, tons of beautiful views, and countless Kodak moments. I was also in my element because I was able to meet all the other travelers on the tour with us. We had Croatians, Canadians, Italians, Aussies, Frenchies and a few Germans. And how could I forget our awesome tour guide, Mark! He was a native Irishman and full of that good 'ol Irish humor. It was a very colorful group of people.<br />
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A few of the highlights from our tour:<br />
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<li>Visiting Cong, the city where John Wayne's movie "The Quiet Man" was filmed.</li>
<li>Walking through beautiful parks and seeing Ashford Castle.</li>
<li>Visiting Cork and walking through the colorful English Market. </li>
<li>Listening to Irish music and rockin' out with all my tour bus friends.</li>
<li>Taking a horse and buggy ride through Killarney National Forest.</li>
<li>Listening to Live Irish music almost every night of the week.</li>
<li>Listening to "Fields of Athenry" while driving through the <i>actual </i>fields of Athenry!</li>
<li>Visiting the Cliffs of Moher and climbing the "baby cliffs"</li>
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A pub in Galway with the same name as my mom's side of the family. Maybe I'm related to them!?</div>
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Loving the tea and soup on cold fall days.</div>
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Happy Irish rubber duckies.</div>
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Me and my travel buddies with the Claddagh village in the background.</div>
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We had lunch with our new friends, Lisa from Holland and Theresa from Austria.</div>
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The cottage where "The Quiet Man" was filmed.</div>
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The Ashford Castle, and me, pretending to be the princess.</div>
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A peaceful walkway.</div>
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Background story: I was so happy and amazed by my surroundings that I couldn't stop smiling. I decided to document the moment and the God-given joy I had with a selfie. The end.</div>
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They love their ducks.</div>
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Our Paddy Wagon tour bus!</div>
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The Kylemore Abbey. Definitely a place I want to visit again.</div>
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This monument had a very interesting inscription on the back to commemorate a very special event... Continue to next picture...</div>
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Haha! Gotcha! Gotta love that Irish humor.</div>
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Irish traffic jam.</div>
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Our tour guide, Mark. This picture pretty much defines our relationship.</div>
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Authentic Irish dinner: Bangers and Mash</div>
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The whole Paddy Wagon Gang!</div>
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Cliffs of Moher with Theresa, my roommate.</div>
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Beautiful!</div>
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Haven't seen that recently. Still makes me proud.</div>
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In conclusion, I was reminded in my first few days in Ireland that I need to thank God for new friends, good travel buddies, English-speakers, good beer and the beauty of His creation. Soon I will post the last few days!</div>
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-Michela</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-78343270324738540652012-11-02T12:27:00.002-07:002012-11-02T12:27:48.905-07:00And The Saints [Went] Marching In...<i>jmj</i><br />
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First I should start by apologizing. I'm sorry.<br />
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Ok good, now that that's done...It has been a while since I have updated my blog. Really though, I should be apologizing to my mom and grandma. (Sorry Mom and Grandma! You guys are the best!) The rest of you just like the pictures (which are at the bottom) =] These past two weeks have been crazy busy, but now I'm ready to get down to business...<br />
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Two weeks ago (October 20th and 21st) I went to Rome for the canonization of Sts. Kateri Tekawitha, Marianne Cope (two North American saints) and 5 other holy men and women! My second visit to Rome was much more relaxed than the first. Strangely, it felt good to be back in a familiar place. I never thought I would get that feeling about Rome, but I did! God works in strange ways.<br />
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Saturday afternoon we went to the Catacombs of St. Sebastian and walked through the tunnels where thousands of Christians and Roman citizens were buried. It was pretty cool being down there. There were miles and miles of tunnels. St. Sebastian's body is said to have been buried there after his martyrdom. It was surreal to be in the place where the first Christians said mass and had meals together. A beautiful testament to the strength and endurance of our Holy Catholic Church!<br />
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After the tour we walked into the church of St. Sebastian and I noticed about a dozen young college age students praying in the church. This may not sound very curious to you but it caught me by surprise because throughout this semester at places of pilgrimage me and my classmates have been the youngest people there by about 20 years. It was curious and refreshing to be praying alongside other college students. I found out later that they were studying abroad in Rome and were actually from Thomas Aquinas College on the East Coast, Ave Maria in Florida, and one other school that I forgot. They were on pilgrimage to all the major basilicas as a school trip. Another awesome testament to faith!<br />
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A funny little story for you all: A little later I was waiting to meet up with a friend from NET, Maureen, who is studying abroad in Rome as well. We were set to meet up at St. Peter's Square at 7 and I had some time to spare so I decided to sit on the steps around St. Peter's and people watch for a little bit (It's one of the few fun free things to do all across Europe. Never ending entertainment!).<br />
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When I was sitting there an Italian man in his 30's or 40's came and sat next to me. [Note to my mom: Don't worry. Nothing bad happens in this story. I'm totally fine!] After a few minutes of silence he asked me, "Que ora sono?" I proudly responded in my own Italian with the time (proud that I knew what he asked and knew how to say the time) and he was surprised to find out that I spoke Italian. (Then why did he ask me the time in Italian in the first place, right? Weird). Unfortunately that was the extent to my Italian because he insisted that we speak in English so that he could practice his. He asked me if I was Catholic, if I had many "boyfriends and lovers" (exact words, not even kidding) and if I had been on many "adventures." It was the most awkward conversation ever! To every questions I answered with a cold and vague answer (Yes, A few, No, umm.. adventures?, etc.).<br />
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After about 5 minutes of this I told him I had to go and walked into a huge group of tourists right in the middle of St. Peter's Square, hoping my new friend would not realize that I actually was just significantly creeped out by him and wanted to get away. Somehow I found my way into a crowd of Asian tourists and realized that I would stick out like a sore thumb if I hung around them too long. After only a few minutes of camouflaging into the crowds I found Maureen and we had a lovely pizza dinner! And that is the story of my all-too-curious Italian friend.<br />
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The next morning started very early (4:30 a.m.) with it's own set of adventures. We I woke up super early to get in line for the canonization so we could get good seats. By the time we arrived at St. Peter's (6:30 a.m.) there were already hundreds, maybe thousands of people lined up to get a seat for the canonization. It was crazy! People were making "Italian lines" (which really just means crowding together and elbowing your way closer to the front). The nuns were the worst ones! They would sneakily wiggle their way to the front of the line and cut everyone! It's hard to say no to a cute little nun, but in that line no one got any special privileges. One of my friends said it was like we weren't Catholic till we got our seats. The sad reality of it all. The prospect of getting close to the pope makes everyone a little crazy.<br />
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The liturgy was beautiful! The actual canonization lasted about 20 minutes and then we had mass. It was amazing to witness the crowds and crowds of people that were in attendance. Some people estimated there were about 100,000 people there. I don't know how accurate that is, but ever seat was filled and the steps around St. Peter's were crowded as well. it was beautiful.<br />
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I got teary eyed during communion. Pope Benedict XVI had been giving communion to the people in the very front section. They would walk up the ramp to the altar rail that he was supporting himself on, and he would distribute communion to them. Not only is he getting old and having a hard time walking far but he is the pope! Of course you would walk to where he is to receive communion from this vicar of Christ!<br />
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Well, the last two people in that section were in wheel chairs, one was a young boy and one was an old man. The pope was assisted by his two servers down the ramp to where the man and boy were waiting to receive communion from him. His love and compassion for these two sons of God was so beautiful! I couldn't help but tear up at his small act of love and humility. It was beautiful. (So you see Dad, I really do have a heart! I cried!)<br />
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It was a wonderful weekend in Rome. I couldn't have asked for better weather, better company, or a more beautiful liturgy. I feel so blessed to have been in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI again and to go to Mass in St. Peter's Square. Welcoming the 7 new saints was an amazing experience and a good reminder that we are all called to be saints. The only thing holding us back is ourselves.<br />
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Prayer of Canonization for St. Kateri Tekawitha:<br />
<i>O God who, among the many marvels of Your Grace in the New World, did cause to blossom on the banks of the Mohawk St. Kateri Tekawitha, grant we beseech You, the favor we beg through her intercession that this Young Lover of Jesus and of His Cross may soon be counted among her Saints by Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger desire to imitate her innocence and faith. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.</i><br />
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Note: Photos are not in Chronological order. Don't get confused ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Sebastian Basilica, where the young people pray!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where St. Sebastian is buried now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pizza with Maureen! It was amazing! Good company and good food!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKBYz5EAvuYz2emPjQu5snvwuY-IrsfeaAUlX24tHihNELFNv4-CnLKxo3avFLm5TA4ZFAazAZJMT6p2sTg1cBhLd1NmlCKocTvz1ggMlWJFVy-OglE-gGvi-P3b1AHmHn_72eY8MVNIe/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKBYz5EAvuYz2emPjQu5snvwuY-IrsfeaAUlX24tHihNELFNv4-CnLKxo3avFLm5TA4ZFAazAZJMT6p2sTg1cBhLd1NmlCKocTvz1ggMlWJFVy-OglE-gGvi-P3b1AHmHn_72eY8MVNIe/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+013.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The thousands of people that came to see the new saints welcomed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all those bishops! Our awesome shepherds!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is for you Aunt Helen! Msgr. Cihak, a friend of my cousins in Oregon, is an assistant to the Pope in Rome and was assisting the pope in the canonization liturgy. Can you see him on the left?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErFCsNoyTQZ86I68IJRmLcmIhDrrosCY3UxsopW6fSxRvA3XhVoZB-9fr8O0dF8pOnDysChm6aW1IlFGzcydm33LwqXI8j6QqQcjoHL6m7uekS4N_LsJZr9LJQXGKbOLdWWwBuGhni9yg/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErFCsNoyTQZ86I68IJRmLcmIhDrrosCY3UxsopW6fSxRvA3XhVoZB-9fr8O0dF8pOnDysChm6aW1IlFGzcydm33LwqXI8j6QqQcjoHL6m7uekS4N_LsJZr9LJQXGKbOLdWWwBuGhni9yg/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+007.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica. This was just a fraction of the line. Don't all those people look happy?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHQvjsV7DAu3VPWrVKmmYyepnmgKQOBKZOcl7GZ3bYpOS1FgxLTDHvTnhsO4bDSKi65oFLuyOIMu_sZzADCAaF6iLJ-Sd0c4jAmFK11IYIiGolQRGYsS3S0kfvjAzrekiLE2qEUQYeTNG/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHQvjsV7DAu3VPWrVKmmYyepnmgKQOBKZOcl7GZ3bYpOS1FgxLTDHvTnhsO4bDSKi65oFLuyOIMu_sZzADCAaF6iLJ-Sd0c4jAmFK11IYIiGolQRGYsS3S0kfvjAzrekiLE2qEUQYeTNG/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+009.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's with the portraits of all the new baby saints =]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9iRGamt2AUKlbdIo6GAAQJrHDkDJOCj120JPgQMHzaXUsxmg-DN_2AvTpiqf3TxGVc44jBnfR5judd2HjafWSoKucvi2jjBEO7uG8kHG_ECwEKt8OL_OMXZ0_FXjjiTv50dYU02T-cEY/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9iRGamt2AUKlbdIo6GAAQJrHDkDJOCj120JPgQMHzaXUsxmg-DN_2AvTpiqf3TxGVc44jBnfR5judd2HjafWSoKucvi2jjBEO7uG8kHG_ECwEKt8OL_OMXZ0_FXjjiTv50dYU02T-cEY/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+011.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Annie, Stephanie and I. Can you spot Ryan's photo bomb?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe0OjXoPPzQui5vBPJpJz2YabdpmqUgRIlbEiZkBAcPJnq82szU6Mj1WduAaYzCQWgHjUX76DrPXzTxU_JJxK_K_4aWSxw_ie6yc5M_am8kn3LHecQGeZwQXTd3RQDtQOj8BEQtWFZyDG/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqe0OjXoPPzQui5vBPJpJz2YabdpmqUgRIlbEiZkBAcPJnq82szU6Mj1WduAaYzCQWgHjUX76DrPXzTxU_JJxK_K_4aWSxw_ie6yc5M_am8kn3LHecQGeZwQXTd3RQDtQOj8BEQtWFZyDG/s1600/Rome+and+Ireland+034.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Papa BXVI riding along in his pope-mobile </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The catacombs of St. Sebastian. Walking in the footsteps of the early martyrs.<br /></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-11333624122473776652012-10-19T14:10:00.001-07:002012-10-19T14:14:12.593-07:00ADL's in Florence [Activities of Daily Life]<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>-jmj</i></span></span></div>
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So I've put up posts every week about what I did on the weekend. So tonight I wanted to share with you a few pictures of what I have been up to in Florence and the surrounding areas.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Wanderings in Settignano...</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3x9itk9rGMY5jH9hYb-EkyK2zYqnIHvxgbJtFg5_KFn69C7NlB5GsUHF88etwgbqn4RM_yEgb9SKpCtxKwfzlgz7b3GB4I7hP59WXOuxXKw6DFYizMSaY5qWwxCXPy5uwpENbzdmQn0UW/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3x9itk9rGMY5jH9hYb-EkyK2zYqnIHvxgbJtFg5_KFn69C7NlB5GsUHF88etwgbqn4RM_yEgb9SKpCtxKwfzlgz7b3GB4I7hP59WXOuxXKw6DFYizMSaY5qWwxCXPy5uwpENbzdmQn0UW/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+007.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cappucini + Theology = Perfect Combination</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lR0WrQAnJh7PQuV20_yNTXnV8TejmxKQITp12C-Hw7MwNvXLqt3BNcL4-Q_h0YGybRhwyfuBxr1_5aSWB20vVnK2hdi5rUizkGPoYeibxPCxkJtZk4BSo3VjG6N-s4VWV_bf4nKgBm9S/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lR0WrQAnJh7PQuV20_yNTXnV8TejmxKQITp12C-Hw7MwNvXLqt3BNcL4-Q_h0YGybRhwyfuBxr1_5aSWB20vVnK2hdi5rUizkGPoYeibxPCxkJtZk4BSo3VjG6N-s4VWV_bf4nKgBm9S/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A beautiful Florence sky</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P3I2tQg2c2952p4pfnYzLgO7gb5y0L2SLJTLVUcxo3Ev6ISFUCXf3Dw2UbexCf3uAxscW6j1SFAa2OmEy4D2_lD1eazx_6-PaamHeP6q6P2cNJacvUHF5VHjr_90GqOyTnk1ad41YBFg/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8P3I2tQg2c2952p4pfnYzLgO7gb5y0L2SLJTLVUcxo3Ev6ISFUCXf3Dw2UbexCf3uAxscW6j1SFAa2OmEy4D2_lD1eazx_6-PaamHeP6q6P2cNJacvUHF5VHjr_90GqOyTnk1ad41YBFg/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+009.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Look! I'm actually <b>studying </b>abroad!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Exploring Florence...</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3U9FN-UEbCf_BZfmIOK3SB9Sz-STnbRx86osPfvNoxPuMa0K-UL7jbx5oy-drxd52MYmQZVQp_GP4OYp8HoqvT40O8OfrXJrOBJw_XEvGnMVcjb3_Y04-KmH848Vz_94BP2Ms-HOHIeR0/s1600/Winetasting+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3U9FN-UEbCf_BZfmIOK3SB9Sz-STnbRx86osPfvNoxPuMa0K-UL7jbx5oy-drxd52MYmQZVQp_GP4OYp8HoqvT40O8OfrXJrOBJw_XEvGnMVcjb3_Y04-KmH848Vz_94BP2Ms-HOHIeR0/s1600/Winetasting+001.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Exploring Ponte Vecchio and other places in Florence!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qFfB-gAMd_tqLZAtHOsh-IeYgnwOzOXXN04K_2fIjJHhfKQV6rp55GfL9m0KN8W_Q8K2qOaGID9Nft2qf1oxXfhaiDXBUjfoTKeGfnfbOwVkM8C0KzhMN6BvgCWssLWuoIF4rcFiH4qJ/s1600/Winetasting+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-qFfB-gAMd_tqLZAtHOsh-IeYgnwOzOXXN04K_2fIjJHhfKQV6rp55GfL9m0KN8W_Q8K2qOaGID9Nft2qf1oxXfhaiDXBUjfoTKeGfnfbOwVkM8C0KzhMN6BvgCWssLWuoIF4rcFiH4qJ/s1600/Winetasting+002.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Random picture of an old man sleeping on a park bench</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAoP-iifaISuVheviCWa0fWAdpuU9AyZu6VN-VWfpRwareavjsgHmrDbgIQfwy4eXCsD2y-2yUFLs2-HoHJs3YbKuyx7sbu6-21cbp7oY27x4RvxBd5pdILXlbaNyWg4lUNmC6znTfhuK/s1600/Winetasting+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAoP-iifaISuVheviCWa0fWAdpuU9AyZu6VN-VWfpRwareavjsgHmrDbgIQfwy4eXCsD2y-2yUFLs2-HoHJs3YbKuyx7sbu6-21cbp7oY27x4RvxBd5pdILXlbaNyWg4lUNmC6znTfhuK/s1600/Winetasting+003.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We visited San Miniato al Monte, a Benedictine Monastery in Florence </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaol5PY3j21ZEreVhQ6i8crdof9Gqf6nG6oJpW5xMXOIgmogQJZqz9zPdxdYVxqwAJl4t5woTARL0CLhCE7ZF9__k8QgLygc-BGMDOUnTgdto1su2rFnWcHmPAi2rmQo2yp1LvBvJKfsA/s1600/Winetasting+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzaol5PY3j21ZEreVhQ6i8crdof9Gqf6nG6oJpW5xMXOIgmogQJZqz9zPdxdYVxqwAJl4t5woTARL0CLhCE7ZF9__k8QgLygc-BGMDOUnTgdto1su2rFnWcHmPAi2rmQo2yp1LvBvJKfsA/s1600/Winetasting+004.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pRUHFjay5T4XduBc7lU68QmEPmuzxZ0nlD6E1Q7iDuP-pXZe_xGNgGcVDIwHJ2Q8y7eeDzh21n9eNWhgTB7Plqa1Jl2jN0JF_Cc8KFXGrLhMB0__prTcstt8p-CxDb5UGpFzeiZRL5Dr/s1600/Winetasting+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pRUHFjay5T4XduBc7lU68QmEPmuzxZ0nlD6E1Q7iDuP-pXZe_xGNgGcVDIwHJ2Q8y7eeDzh21n9eNWhgTB7Plqa1Jl2jN0JF_Cc8KFXGrLhMB0__prTcstt8p-CxDb5UGpFzeiZRL5Dr/s1600/Winetasting+005.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The view from San Miniato al Monte! All of Florence is at my fingertips...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dusk in Florence in front of Piazza Pitti</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHPFUluWjWCRBZUlnw0w1KIq5CNmFpr_nMjOK5ZfohrYWfV6mIZ5MehLvh2qWOv2yAu8-7X3gShDCGlF_5nfMt-i2yaoPml9RGeNuEVtS5uBcn9CeRKguJyhiw_0RdNvK1z-tM36lEQmL/s1600/Winetasting+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcHPFUluWjWCRBZUlnw0w1KIq5CNmFpr_nMjOK5ZfohrYWfV6mIZ5MehLvh2qWOv2yAu8-7X3gShDCGlF_5nfMt-i2yaoPml9RGeNuEVtS5uBcn9CeRKguJyhiw_0RdNvK1z-tM36lEQmL/s1600/Winetasting+008.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Me and my new amici Italiani! Daniele, Lauri and Chiara! They showed me around Florence!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUcQ8xS84-t-0-gyKClauW8rxsd-rme8PD3sgEav-kz6p-8VjoINXwGr0cUPlZKzFD6kX1At3j-OiqwtyCEpnMRs6sa3A7PoRheehSFUX9q6BS7R-EZGKOUUzYUiRXF32xJ98VaWV9v-_/s1600/Winetasting+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUcQ8xS84-t-0-gyKClauW8rxsd-rme8PD3sgEav-kz6p-8VjoINXwGr0cUPlZKzFD6kX1At3j-OiqwtyCEpnMRs6sa3A7PoRheehSFUX9q6BS7R-EZGKOUUzYUiRXF32xJ98VaWV9v-_/s1600/Winetasting+011.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chiara and I from a look out point in Fiesole. All of Florence was lit up behind us. Bellisima!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M0nEOqKhCMcMl4M2l_FchcryFE5C3Wh2Pzv_X9vxLLwkX0pkTlbUN4uVBF6r3ICwDs8gCHkZvG1naTj39iTWuqLruf3795W3Lab5ep0MzlRew8adlpLT8610njLqv6e0xr1JztXx1fkY/s1600/Winetasting+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M0nEOqKhCMcMl4M2l_FchcryFE5C3Wh2Pzv_X9vxLLwkX0pkTlbUN4uVBF6r3ICwDs8gCHkZvG1naTj39iTWuqLruf3795W3Lab5ep0MzlRew8adlpLT8610njLqv6e0xr1JztXx1fkY/s1600/Winetasting+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Molto amici italiani! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bXNpm2v5WWrXnO-vI3zNLe1-3xMoLnumwY_TCFtAhdcF__CxjDQS4DY8h0XwBkCMGxyeNIms0AT97Agx8mm6DlofyklVrW2yihUCEWkxv6JxXmZcKUj2IMOhYGQZytsCLyE0DYoDhXfq/s1600/Winetasting+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5bXNpm2v5WWrXnO-vI3zNLe1-3xMoLnumwY_TCFtAhdcF__CxjDQS4DY8h0XwBkCMGxyeNIms0AT97Agx8mm6DlofyklVrW2yihUCEWkxv6JxXmZcKUj2IMOhYGQZytsCLyE0DYoDhXfq/s1600/Winetasting+009.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The lights over the river from Ponte Vecchio</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> Experiencing Tuscany...</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrDA17IyR5yyVVKHordMuMnrHQF9tjMvEzFkTCyWDA40DYVjr2Lf9O2aKZ-QQ3WASS0vfM8S_rp5w4Ylm6eLqGBtOjVtutT3DoYbkqYSLgfW09JWjjYqwa5t9mE_w0_Mnzb4HvmkrfQQb/s1600/Winetasting+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrDA17IyR5yyVVKHordMuMnrHQF9tjMvEzFkTCyWDA40DYVjr2Lf9O2aKZ-QQ3WASS0vfM8S_rp5w4Ylm6eLqGBtOjVtutT3DoYbkqYSLgfW09JWjjYqwa5t9mE_w0_Mnzb4HvmkrfQQb/s1600/Winetasting+020.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A church we stopped in during our visit to Panzano, a little city outside of Florence.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BFjFyi09_J-3IBDfp4YPW2DjhuT_q9N0UTlTPB0rNW7MDwMn_tmaI0RZYGfEE9zsbbqMBISGRfq5GdNzMj9h3777GfAuGZnFFPlDPm-UDFlG9-5xnqIRBYNw9_gGIrqzHF8o-hSRDStu/s1600/Winetasting+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BFjFyi09_J-3IBDfp4YPW2DjhuT_q9N0UTlTPB0rNW7MDwMn_tmaI0RZYGfEE9zsbbqMBISGRfq5GdNzMj9h3777GfAuGZnFFPlDPm-UDFlG9-5xnqIRBYNw9_gGIrqzHF8o-hSRDStu/s1600/Winetasting+023.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I can't see this picture. Can you?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgzcN5hxr7YCBKpXzafQqu0SQeO_N8rKs3vUD-Mm58LEP65p70D5IpaRIYyolQScs1GB-Cuu72nP63BfpCNQa8j7t5ZfjnJQOgj-MEeydzBC1-X4Xl6njBnxeFNh0yCOrFCCNbZX2P0dk/s1600/Winetasting+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgzcN5hxr7YCBKpXzafQqu0SQeO_N8rKs3vUD-Mm58LEP65p70D5IpaRIYyolQScs1GB-Cuu72nP63BfpCNQa8j7t5ZfjnJQOgj-MEeydzBC1-X4Xl6njBnxeFNh0yCOrFCCNbZX2P0dk/s1600/Winetasting+024.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Katie and I tasting some amazing wine at the Accademia di Buona Guista! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETrEhfn_b9ZK_B2jluTIPVsQE052k2vLMNxbGVa6C-RfdKapFqLm6QjtOrDm52RBwksQA9WAmUdrLH8V_YefJnpgs2W_Zx15WESPSIGcuE6xxhOWB22AHhIGeNzhD2k5dH6Q2isMGpxgc/s1600/Winetasting+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETrEhfn_b9ZK_B2jluTIPVsQE052k2vLMNxbGVa6C-RfdKapFqLm6QjtOrDm52RBwksQA9WAmUdrLH8V_YefJnpgs2W_Zx15WESPSIGcuE6xxhOWB22AHhIGeNzhD2k5dH6Q2isMGpxgc/s1600/Winetasting+026.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stefano (on the right with the funny hat) was a great host! We tasted over 7 different wines under his direction!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2LeyILL7BDvcpQxxyp8iBeY83ePbIANfE8UuAlEqT-Q2EMlh6MzKBG-3_gv1iVxLiPlEIpKzgBVBOyhyphenhyphenU4mbrFHmtw7uqE9Ra0P_QbmhVgsXdEbjXac1_niQtobMvFWJDJOP8rQG3yQb/s1600/Winetasting+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2LeyILL7BDvcpQxxyp8iBeY83ePbIANfE8UuAlEqT-Q2EMlh6MzKBG-3_gv1iVxLiPlEIpKzgBVBOyhyphenhyphenU4mbrFHmtw7uqE9Ra0P_QbmhVgsXdEbjXac1_niQtobMvFWJDJOP8rQG3yQb/s1600/Winetasting+027.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cutest couple award goes to... Katie and Brayson! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlNddDsKXQlDREl0qGO4rjGsndowTOWDBsXVsng0hfNqJJiQBOjkaHmy2qjDx-hHzgLPB7ijOXRcCjk5j4LGcjHulUbn7kpB5LXJv198i7tNRBhRWeXcBZ3QibwbnjTLUnS0mxCpJd8eA/s1600/Winetasting+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrlNddDsKXQlDREl0qGO4rjGsndowTOWDBsXVsng0hfNqJJiQBOjkaHmy2qjDx-hHzgLPB7ijOXRcCjk5j4LGcjHulUbn7kpB5LXJv198i7tNRBhRWeXcBZ3QibwbnjTLUnS0mxCpJd8eA/s1600/Winetasting+028.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Comedic entertainment for the day went to Pietro! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrAyyJtBWw7tqF5FP1DbdOvG7ZQpRCItJufjbHGpKd0hIUV48XupKCbDIy9eAOlpHyV1QuoVS7DdAuSs_Mj4pdUCU9ld7jPSxjILdol_aLDEUkqbhyXXDsQv3q2W_eqKYQ36yBK_3QrMw/s1600/Winetasting+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrAyyJtBWw7tqF5FP1DbdOvG7ZQpRCItJufjbHGpKd0hIUV48XupKCbDIy9eAOlpHyV1QuoVS7DdAuSs_Mj4pdUCU9ld7jPSxjILdol_aLDEUkqbhyXXDsQv3q2W_eqKYQ36yBK_3QrMw/s1600/Winetasting+031.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jenny and I love Accademia di Buona Guista!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68baKkictR3qTCjY6qhN2ZVpxQO1uDvAPSzloQI59w6BLbJjCxshe-OqkvFXOk-ISpNjwYxDaDAAHOvwJm1Tp9gNXF3QBnAQba9kflkNsHuvK_6KYzuwKdbwOU3fG_UbQV89afEWlValE/s1600/Winetasting+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg68baKkictR3qTCjY6qhN2ZVpxQO1uDvAPSzloQI59w6BLbJjCxshe-OqkvFXOk-ISpNjwYxDaDAAHOvwJm1Tp9gNXF3QBnAQba9kflkNsHuvK_6KYzuwKdbwOU3fG_UbQV89afEWlValE/s1600/Winetasting+033.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Two peas in a pod. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkrs2ogxp5b588_G6fHjeERJn1jIJBXUzcDyjAK7r3H9oq0b9djzpiVopdFy7fpDvErQ8sXNgq0RrdFfogz4r5PYNuhSK6_jtPpUL7M0KxkEd4qV0K0MEsxpBByto-ouSPeJkKsbbL72d/s1600/Winetasting+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkrs2ogxp5b588_G6fHjeERJn1jIJBXUzcDyjAK7r3H9oq0b9djzpiVopdFy7fpDvErQ8sXNgq0RrdFfogz4r5PYNuhSK6_jtPpUL7M0KxkEd4qV0K0MEsxpBByto-ouSPeJkKsbbL72d/s1600/Winetasting+035.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stefano teaching Katie and Gabby how to taste olive oil. 1. Smell 2. put in the palm of your hand 3. Cover it with your other hand 4. Dance 5. Taste. Molto Buono!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4UnGBEm9ADOHBznlEvTUtWY3lB4ca9CryKrEJpiSxwLcbtl4bPK8ObmpJjKhzn88jIkt2q0PUPloIAnPkEklC-M5eA9cxn2IEAziKa6EbwVoI0nrDIr1PrZzkkadtiEAe1itGJULKDmk/s1600/Winetasting+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4UnGBEm9ADOHBznlEvTUtWY3lB4ca9CryKrEJpiSxwLcbtl4bPK8ObmpJjKhzn88jIkt2q0PUPloIAnPkEklC-M5eA9cxn2IEAziKa6EbwVoI0nrDIr1PrZzkkadtiEAe1itGJULKDmk/s1600/Winetasting+037.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Everyone, meet Umberto, Stefano's wild cinghiale.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOE0WZqowWzrkuy9PxsKYzBKgAY_oywQSYiN8vTSB5fqCV60-qFIBZpI1ebAvZzHH2FEA_FLMMS9XmXrGqzUv_mO8RFktt_jXbFt28KsGSgBOJl6T7-DVeI0stP_hvlZbxPEcPmOV1Ggl/s1600/Winetasting+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZOE0WZqowWzrkuy9PxsKYzBKgAY_oywQSYiN8vTSB5fqCV60-qFIBZpI1ebAvZzHH2FEA_FLMMS9XmXrGqzUv_mO8RFktt_jXbFt28KsGSgBOJl6T7-DVeI0stP_hvlZbxPEcPmOV1Ggl/s1600/Winetasting+039.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stefano made me kiss Umberto. Pietro said I will not have good fortune for my whole life! Thanks Pietro!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhkF-AIneevEYBHHTDh4r8Z_0GdNZ6Xhqct-bCWR2l-cpMnCnP7d_1ST_KEB34ywiogNm1HPf_9mEYokxpMU_tWOt8yTV2diYemXqSO_7fC9ZoJA_1nulwgfehYa3GokwHozmZBP9bcem/s1600/Winetasting+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhkF-AIneevEYBHHTDh4r8Z_0GdNZ6Xhqct-bCWR2l-cpMnCnP7d_1ST_KEB34ywiogNm1HPf_9mEYokxpMU_tWOt8yTV2diYemXqSO_7fC9ZoJA_1nulwgfehYa3GokwHozmZBP9bcem/s1600/Winetasting+040.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We have too much fun with Pietro.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ838408Az2y_U-jTJCuTg6x8ZENLqoPK0BGG1lEQz3CtNLXSxQr5C7XqlkE2CKdnka3LXYwaYF0A2QtT6UnbNoEJJnP7v3TpbY5QODYiaJc8iM5Zc2-9B7ihJb4g5QDxwBzfohlZWncHb/s1600/Winetasting+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ838408Az2y_U-jTJCuTg6x8ZENLqoPK0BGG1lEQz3CtNLXSxQr5C7XqlkE2CKdnka3LXYwaYF0A2QtT6UnbNoEJJnP7v3TpbY5QODYiaJc8iM5Zc2-9B7ihJb4g5QDxwBzfohlZWncHb/s1600/Winetasting+041.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We graduated from Accademia di Buona Guista!</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSkt4KltOlTiH3RID8CpGoHGh0dtphFVBZsRjV2PtVcJt1npkxARor7cOEN08tiwX8vshG-KzqoZCQHVfcSw8lQSZs0e5GHaoYcHsh63OkA-iQitGGJTyG_vxdFCQUYpMC-aKGMryRUKT/s1600/Winetasting+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSkt4KltOlTiH3RID8CpGoHGh0dtphFVBZsRjV2PtVcJt1npkxARor7cOEN08tiwX8vshG-KzqoZCQHVfcSw8lQSZs0e5GHaoYcHsh63OkA-iQitGGJTyG_vxdFCQUYpMC-aKGMryRUKT/s1600/Winetasting+042.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrROdaqVsQMHXfBT44nGy79vGJf2Lupy4TlgfFEHFCHENDAneZiqr05VKcFt6vDDxt2EFZ37vRVjSmucLOFBwB0TL3Sgvb6PEVn5CZhzoUYSdOBfkedQE140qkuUUh1l7RY_4aRKxCrUjV/s1600/Winetasting+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrROdaqVsQMHXfBT44nGy79vGJf2Lupy4TlgfFEHFCHENDAneZiqr05VKcFt6vDDxt2EFZ37vRVjSmucLOFBwB0TL3Sgvb6PEVn5CZhzoUYSdOBfkedQE140qkuUUh1l7RY_4aRKxCrUjV/s1600/Winetasting+043.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Stefano and his amazing hat.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbUNxjpFkd3jXcasjgyTvpuo__oa4J9WJBGYQFeC3SgSe2LPJZ4mc5Q4BFAHdpyRdqVtP87L5yDHR4pU4ekO0oGV-xR4UGMNCZOusmloBUfdGXtFLD9BvmfT20QETCCspXP-6AcIukCnu/s1600/Winetasting+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbUNxjpFkd3jXcasjgyTvpuo__oa4J9WJBGYQFeC3SgSe2LPJZ4mc5Q4BFAHdpyRdqVtP87L5yDHR4pU4ekO0oGV-xR4UGMNCZOusmloBUfdGXtFLD9BvmfT20QETCCspXP-6AcIukCnu/s1600/Winetasting+044.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Buona Guista!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Good times...</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWyxkcjEUzmr57ScjzVRO59kNDDn3CEqUHr1SIMJzs2F9FjMtobogitMUj7-DdzNEmEwlR606ZpGyNJ6gnKL1hT0e9G06K19DyGRVFdTW560lj6Ui_DvEbrsRoET7x-F_8je4iMid06QU/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWyxkcjEUzmr57ScjzVRO59kNDDn3CEqUHr1SIMJzs2F9FjMtobogitMUj7-DdzNEmEwlR606ZpGyNJ6gnKL1hT0e9G06K19DyGRVFdTW560lj6Ui_DvEbrsRoET7x-F_8je4iMid06QU/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+001.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My classmates and our two fabulous Italian instructors!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AVXHuC59QYOh20i45KPdK8WkgOxcqGleNbsaxhYr6bfv_vhGtxaV1Q8Goz3ZyxL9eftNfDT35ILied4733cUoGEcrDWmuYvcf3P1dDHBIlTO1A3zKS71K7cy-rZi30vL9uAOEnaTbP2M/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AVXHuC59QYOh20i45KPdK8WkgOxcqGleNbsaxhYr6bfv_vhGtxaV1Q8Goz3ZyxL9eftNfDT35ILied4733cUoGEcrDWmuYvcf3P1dDHBIlTO1A3zKS71K7cy-rZi30vL9uAOEnaTbP2M/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+002.jpg" width="288" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We wanted to honor Daniele (only guy in the middle) and all do our hair like him!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walking to the bus stop is an activity of daily life hear in Italy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXG6nK2qus3J2tfLNTrVGkarWy_Bc2zuCgpgFwzwR4eWRu6OStpwyPzu678j-GN3r5W1r9Kj7J3vYbm-22wwxh_nv93ZjdbbM-BwBbdubcqWlo1rZlvLbhOYoDLAkvuL7brjVFXnujqHH/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkXG6nK2qus3J2tfLNTrVGkarWy_Bc2zuCgpgFwzwR4eWRu6OStpwyPzu678j-GN3r5W1r9Kj7J3vYbm-22wwxh_nv93ZjdbbM-BwBbdubcqWlo1rZlvLbhOYoDLAkvuL7brjVFXnujqHH/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+006.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The sunset on our walk. This night we were having girls night in Florence...</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSc2NdpnqwzI-_HTtRRC2mNudQSsBSEfqsPkIwkoo4MslYPSy1IEmfeJ-S-VJBlj2nCvusJjqFQxJcWRBMB5iz8Sn8gvzEj-oCR1deU9yMeTlOZwsqnKwxSrX0Lt_VtMMYgnxEuLt8ES8s/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSc2NdpnqwzI-_HTtRRC2mNudQSsBSEfqsPkIwkoo4MslYPSy1IEmfeJ-S-VJBlj2nCvusJjqFQxJcWRBMB5iz8Sn8gvzEj-oCR1deU9yMeTlOZwsqnKwxSrX0Lt_VtMMYgnxEuLt8ES8s/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+007.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The girls and I at Tijuana, Mexican Food!!!! Complete with 1/2 off Margheritas!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOC1wdmtH33rp4IbdosSnbTayvl0rgNP5fKgXYEdpVOxrjbtXOSvqVl4G1eFMG1zBVmSutA1gGV_1pDABfABfJPhOuiBtExUIUb4qCnGA1TBlYgIhmPtrhRY1_A3hwA_4BgzpqeiemG5j/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOC1wdmtH33rp4IbdosSnbTayvl0rgNP5fKgXYEdpVOxrjbtXOSvqVl4G1eFMG1zBVmSutA1gGV_1pDABfABfJPhOuiBtExUIUb4qCnGA1TBlYgIhmPtrhRY1_A3hwA_4BgzpqeiemG5j/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+012.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mi piace Mango Margherita molto!</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Welp, that's all for now, folks! I love Florence and have been enjoying all the time I have here. It is crazy to think that I will be back in the U.S. in a month! Today, as we were driving through the rolling Tuscan hills, I was thinking to myself, "This is really my life... Weird." God is so good and I can't begin to express how blessed I feel!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You all are in my thoughts and prayers constantly! Lots and lots of love is being sent you way!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">-Michela</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-15626032326255390442012-10-16T12:56:00.001-07:002012-10-16T12:56:10.658-07:00Pictures from Pisa and Paris! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>jmj</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
The weekend's fun didn't stop in Lisieux! Here are pictures from our time in Pisa, before we left for Lisieux, and after, in Paris! Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Pisa!</b><br />
One of my friends, Cabrini (pictured below), googled creative poses to do in front of the leaning tower of Pisa. So here are pictures compliments of Cabrini and google search!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIVD2QXO6UPnfFRw5cWFttaHmG0oZcu2vQCSykrIWngGU5EgokDDLbqLHnruaGPsGs9JyOyvG2sX7XwxW2MOB1Dy7CkCek56oQ4me7TGeGjHVHQSYjwBD_1Us9vdKUrkHxfBXyoHpLXhm/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdIVD2QXO6UPnfFRw5cWFttaHmG0oZcu2vQCSykrIWngGU5EgokDDLbqLHnruaGPsGs9JyOyvG2sX7XwxW2MOB1Dy7CkCek56oQ4me7TGeGjHVHQSYjwBD_1Us9vdKUrkHxfBXyoHpLXhm/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+018.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cabrini was so excited to take pictures with the tower in Pisa that she stopped at the wrong one! (Haha jk! I made her to it.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxZNIqvXmLGsoqHDlIX7cFxDaOGkAneIoQuiiaYdvP7ySdlKdzRPw-D70tdIrZsreG3dnRYFIYSd69iK2q_UZnyfzr6RxjZwqwZKvtaGBUlS9cumAeaHhMs1J-V2BkKeESn3hShpd0yar/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxZNIqvXmLGsoqHDlIX7cFxDaOGkAneIoQuiiaYdvP7ySdlKdzRPw-D70tdIrZsreG3dnRYFIYSd69iK2q_UZnyfzr6RxjZwqwZKvtaGBUlS9cumAeaHhMs1J-V2BkKeESn3hShpd0yar/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+024.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lift with your knees, not your back! My chiropractor would be so pleased!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiq3nknkyZhxUShz6veahdBzW_lFFFVu2JRxPN2yGBoNoSOj2U_cvf8HHAMbJSUgAkRGwRWbNMAUTGLU2W_TWo-NiHBDtp8wb_Xt8rtVpMY08Qqu6MrQGFBe_QwtmYH2BtxKcEBCK3AdR/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiq3nknkyZhxUShz6veahdBzW_lFFFVu2JRxPN2yGBoNoSOj2U_cvf8HHAMbJSUgAkRGwRWbNMAUTGLU2W_TWo-NiHBDtp8wb_Xt8rtVpMY08Qqu6MrQGFBe_QwtmYH2BtxKcEBCK3AdR/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+025.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karate Chopping the Tower? Ok.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3buq4BYijSS9ljuKlsoJmG5eOgTGE76QlEXzfB-Lj4i2zDv-EVNq1E_OLK4nCM9_Ht4sivBzffpkvUXq70x1OH_MMpxCIJLU17tjCajEueyCH2Oup92SSkXkKBgS3JOTic71K7qdi4pSC/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3buq4BYijSS9ljuKlsoJmG5eOgTGE76QlEXzfB-Lj4i2zDv-EVNq1E_OLK4nCM9_Ht4sivBzffpkvUXq70x1OH_MMpxCIJLU17tjCajEueyCH2Oup92SSkXkKBgS3JOTic71K7qdi4pSC/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+032.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to get everyone lined up just so was pretty hard, but I'm pretty sure my side one! Yeah, upper-class girls!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSZDzYZ4voW2BI8_A1LL-q4J94zU5eHY_3SmsTGibxhw6iQu7LS2SvW2jYP5joEEJ5pakaNEcWS_LWoLGbUedpj7v_B3DV2CxZgFMgyny-JUdQJOqq0M88eSn9fG9m7SPIPR57p9agQKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSZDzYZ4voW2BI8_A1LL-q4J94zU5eHY_3SmsTGibxhw6iQu7LS2SvW2jYP5joEEJ5pakaNEcWS_LWoLGbUedpj7v_B3DV2CxZgFMgyny-JUdQJOqq0M88eSn9fG9m7SPIPR57p9agQKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+030.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the Kendrick Sisters! Don't know what they are trying to do, but apparently its not working :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjeXGhJJLEMfnfRQrtpsj-dFnUWvOQ01K_wu4Pk7vFesQWXtTSD-PgIyyU0ci2xOp26voaUCFU4-t6_o962Y-V7rPf9yohcIUxJXKcFXMKDYvPtPICdSPP-in5v-gCKj6OQSGg80s0LQU/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjeXGhJJLEMfnfRQrtpsj-dFnUWvOQ01K_wu4Pk7vFesQWXtTSD-PgIyyU0ci2xOp26voaUCFU4-t6_o962Y-V7rPf9yohcIUxJXKcFXMKDYvPtPICdSPP-in5v-gCKj6OQSGg80s0LQU/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+036.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After an hour and a half we were trying to get real creative. Cabrini was a dedicated photographer (seen sitting on the floor to get the best angle)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQms7R_UbQ3X9AMzrgFzfXuRHstsVD1XCYBTz_bmoy_H95XQUhqyQ98q4onQczPbkckBiWL7OY4XcyigbZ2lGhBULUNGYoa8_aE6flxRg4TOIB6NliMf4Em0hvY-d_jS6tY3t7TGOYVKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQms7R_UbQ3X9AMzrgFzfXuRHstsVD1XCYBTz_bmoy_H95XQUhqyQ98q4onQczPbkckBiWL7OY4XcyigbZ2lGhBULUNGYoa8_aE6flxRg4TOIB6NliMf4Em0hvY-d_jS6tY3t7TGOYVKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+035.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proof of dedication: Laying on gross sidewalk to get best picture. Bravo Cabrini! Bravo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_n1IPfIKVOMpUXoJ8NgtO6KBy5q_UuEIOPHSU2Ap6hRV8MGjE1x8E3hY1o3ayMd0ANwONexYDbobMUvXxYHRMbz4vc8EQGsF49oh972d4pKK4UKAavQuPq-DtXIHl5TDj80XrvM-Wduo/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_n1IPfIKVOMpUXoJ8NgtO6KBy5q_UuEIOPHSU2Ap6hRV8MGjE1x8E3hY1o3ayMd0ANwONexYDbobMUvXxYHRMbz4vc8EQGsF49oh972d4pKK4UKAavQuPq-DtXIHl5TDj80XrvM-Wduo/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+039.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a thriller night?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjJhiXsjwvio32Y9PqAPJJiNaWjcmCWSfdrfgb_ILmJCj5Mxj9LBhotn-ZjbOPk0sO3BDNQnxf64eDN5ev5Dzh5LOrzKx9Hd2SPKiK2Z1VhnZWufoZgtHFpl1hpCXTjPdsSDZZdvVI55R/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKjJhiXsjwvio32Y9PqAPJJiNaWjcmCWSfdrfgb_ILmJCj5Mxj9LBhotn-ZjbOPk0sO3BDNQnxf64eDN5ev5Dzh5LOrzKx9Hd2SPKiK2Z1VhnZWufoZgtHFpl1hpCXTjPdsSDZZdvVI55R/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+040.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the tower? And Abby's great face?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> Then Paris:</b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54E6sDuhWsyFQgkGRfY9cBVsBUANiT_SiqBB7TbO4LAWAERYbmD3IPwe3cqYdoh9drlrVQbKF6QrR41EqQx_EsKzzIquTK5aSoBP7nyCCXQoI7XCXriAIsiLWXR57-ciMnwT0hmmu_BM9/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+107edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg54E6sDuhWsyFQgkGRfY9cBVsBUANiT_SiqBB7TbO4LAWAERYbmD3IPwe3cqYdoh9drlrVQbKF6QrR41EqQx_EsKzzIquTK5aSoBP7nyCCXQoI7XCXriAIsiLWXR57-ciMnwT0hmmu_BM9/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+107edited.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning Surprise in Paris: Seeing these girls at the Miraculous Medal Chapel. It really was a miracle!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Ouleaqf3haW7A-nd_LCUfzn877BFEafqtHLaSYeaw-qvxN4LOX4ZI4_gUUJrXplNoTILNkqn1unmeTdWNlA16uqwBs4NEaHaR7U40Y90Hrlm-1hngcxXZFY3D77nQipBa0xedqC4LS5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Ouleaqf3haW7A-nd_LCUfzn877BFEafqtHLaSYeaw-qvxN4LOX4ZI4_gUUJrXplNoTILNkqn1unmeTdWNlA16uqwBs4NEaHaR7U40Y90Hrlm-1hngcxXZFY3D77nQipBa0xedqC4LS5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+108.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chapel itself was beautiful as well! We got to attend mass. I'm pretty sure that parts of it were said in Polish, French and Latin. I was kinda confused.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzHTC5XDl5MOfKCjBypMyqELm34P1kFLPxuGvfxJS_Y5z8DyzSJ6EXGP4fmYIeu9U_LwLNKSW7heeFZaALPshq7Q1LRnPkxbO7eqxniNzyRTG4jA8VV7uWlv6yWsWxeB8njR8oEwqdOGk/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOzHTC5XDl5MOfKCjBypMyqELm34P1kFLPxuGvfxJS_Y5z8DyzSJ6EXGP4fmYIeu9U_LwLNKSW7heeFZaALPshq7Q1LRnPkxbO7eqxniNzyRTG4jA8VV7uWlv6yWsWxeB8njR8oEwqdOGk/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+109.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Catherine Laboure's tomb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfllch3BExO7gyHh7HLfP_7G8eZivxylXmnAkxOGdVwTnJSqZYtwpzkB3-ou3QrSjljhFuJuCjlW0YAngKYcTkVWz2MhXbVPw-yMkaBovkdfuRXpKyRBEp0fFxcQ65PBBBaAAT6JnJo8a/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfllch3BExO7gyHh7HLfP_7G8eZivxylXmnAkxOGdVwTnJSqZYtwpzkB3-ou3QrSjljhFuJuCjlW0YAngKYcTkVWz2MhXbVPw-yMkaBovkdfuRXpKyRBEp0fFxcQ65PBBBaAAT6JnJo8a/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+111.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca was so excited to get her pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks! So worth it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8p878vqjKWbd-MIQPGyVoSqyuI6fZk8I9ky1go_l0MPNwJgc40mOJhw_ZMEx-BXAq5ONfXA3aa5VtTPi3TkiUgf_gnKSmo8Ota0JKFesChGInWvz7_GyAes7yNLYpiRPlW7XhVh1xj-fX/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+112edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8p878vqjKWbd-MIQPGyVoSqyuI6fZk8I9ky1go_l0MPNwJgc40mOJhw_ZMEx-BXAq5ONfXA3aa5VtTPi3TkiUgf_gnKSmo8Ota0JKFesChGInWvz7_GyAes7yNLYpiRPlW7XhVh1xj-fX/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+112edited.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first real French crepe! Nutella and banana. So good!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPNixCmD9y-0NXMCDweZdIO9YhCuLgisrCNiS2h69Gob5HRbnfH3-ndFEs2hkMH_GkLR-B0fbfDtd0-uvYAHtrnxZwuDwkwe_rTYOrF7xvFgZVyrEx63hkUHcnmuiClMFnHoJyaVgoiPX/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPNixCmD9y-0NXMCDweZdIO9YhCuLgisrCNiS2h69Gob5HRbnfH3-ndFEs2hkMH_GkLR-B0fbfDtd0-uvYAHtrnxZwuDwkwe_rTYOrF7xvFgZVyrEx63hkUHcnmuiClMFnHoJyaVgoiPX/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+113.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me, about to enjoy the deliciousness that awaits me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-n5eAh0VNIxnzWeKRq2YwMkPKgq7ph376KMKENsLBH44382YRtOpGIzN1TSR9uK8dLLhRWDPKmnz1Uwo1ZKcnmIMV1dXP73Z_NoQp_zJLqEy1w_cLxEsYIokLuhUdLncWGwSnCI_odQDN/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+138edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-n5eAh0VNIxnzWeKRq2YwMkPKgq7ph376KMKENsLBH44382YRtOpGIzN1TSR9uK8dLLhRWDPKmnz1Uwo1ZKcnmIMV1dXP73Z_NoQp_zJLqEy1w_cLxEsYIokLuhUdLncWGwSnCI_odQDN/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+138edited.jpeg" height="400" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to stay and dry on our day tour of Paris! Can you see the Eiffel Tower?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwO-4ETfFHCRt1E01S8EodiDRFPEX0DruAeTaneJsqSwJ5MbtdE-FSi0MIoZvQYdofiAcjIuRpoDgDEK-tbaE0KTd-O5q8l5iscLoExRZMQOWDmuUdK66eQYAxolkNPLNXaEB-8GWi08Dp/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+126.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking cute and bald in this pic. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAyiNQmolueruIHFxm-JSCxi5-_shrDQJaWskAzzZyjsD4N0SaXbutJGWuiDVjlwrVohhkbGVeNCGb_ZjxTNx85RuSFvn7aEOdrDjoF7V4WWvLNVLlRqbW4uVMozHCX_Y4LgYWzDa94U5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+119edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAyiNQmolueruIHFxm-JSCxi5-_shrDQJaWskAzzZyjsD4N0SaXbutJGWuiDVjlwrVohhkbGVeNCGb_ZjxTNx85RuSFvn7aEOdrDjoF7V4WWvLNVLlRqbW4uVMozHCX_Y4LgYWzDa94U5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+119edited.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More locks of Love! Its an epidemic spreading across Europe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42kMPTa-aQucxeS3oV9dkcgs-O9JsM5HdSQnOnkuEm_NxXaOrscgowwRecujPECdnY7H9-ZrMoYETYsdUG62gUj2RtKzPlljMRbSkskHEoZn6_5I_hMl3dE1SoixhbKvygXJOetAvuGkH/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+120edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42kMPTa-aQucxeS3oV9dkcgs-O9JsM5HdSQnOnkuEm_NxXaOrscgowwRecujPECdnY7H9-ZrMoYETYsdUG62gUj2RtKzPlljMRbSkskHEoZn6_5I_hMl3dE1SoixhbKvygXJOetAvuGkH/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+120edited.jpeg" height="376" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aw, fer cute! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55jO9IN7OPBWl27qbg5BRdiKeWsRnTL5wAFjQwrhnu0ZPMkU6xIGQT99deLvW_TtB1Pb8pUwRpzSIKOiOJSCLdBHOZg50hGNuYLV1MOBeeJHUP_nOhTcKgqwYD92I5dCSpvU6cdthvhey/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55jO9IN7OPBWl27qbg5BRdiKeWsRnTL5wAFjQwrhnu0ZPMkU6xIGQT99deLvW_TtB1Pb8pUwRpzSIKOiOJSCLdBHOZg50hGNuYLV1MOBeeJHUP_nOhTcKgqwYD92I5dCSpvU6cdthvhey/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+116.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame. It was magnificent!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtmg4ejZbrsFZ9yX7oSEUgynUsXI3ChhUKgpwxpMx7HRf_GnhP5DnQ1eX-ys7MzQocKtak0rp1aoA4yKatjxUz1gsWu5unOXaD6okMfJjGmt3Qv_Ec2jtpMGPghyphenhyphenx9o9Jcc9YyoyLa6NF/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+156edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtmg4ejZbrsFZ9yX7oSEUgynUsXI3ChhUKgpwxpMx7HRf_GnhP5DnQ1eX-ys7MzQocKtak0rp1aoA4yKatjxUz1gsWu5unOXaD6okMfJjGmt3Qv_Ec2jtpMGPghyphenhyphenx9o9Jcc9YyoyLa6NF/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+156edited.jpeg" height="400" width="363" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful rose windows inside Notre Dame.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeiuZgsSartJxRNKRVZlJwiJpmfC-kZZ6falfrvtQQMKuNY2NIwF8S-bVT3ngbr2s-GbftwPHu95yOk1hZGzvrhee1VGh02hmlrSujWbeWOgui4BE8HySfHMXFSJ2vZgFIQ1VCicug1Bb/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+159edite.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdeiuZgsSartJxRNKRVZlJwiJpmfC-kZZ6falfrvtQQMKuNY2NIwF8S-bVT3ngbr2s-GbftwPHu95yOk1hZGzvrhee1VGh02hmlrSujWbeWOgui4BE8HySfHMXFSJ2vZgFIQ1VCicug1Bb/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+159edite.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Joan of Arc was everywhere in France! This statue was in Notre Dame.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtyzyjKwFjJ1zOKuuxMj_B9jBdVAJ5XDwrsPotJVpC_S6l0LbcDjNXUzaxGf_Osdop5J2JsnHegSpREfhgaub2_oJXf4T-mi0Rv4d6F14uMZzcJFHOAbnnCTzUjwkHNdOZueAULN8p6mq/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXtyzyjKwFjJ1zOKuuxMj_B9jBdVAJ5XDwrsPotJVpC_S6l0LbcDjNXUzaxGf_Osdop5J2JsnHegSpREfhgaub2_oJXf4T-mi0Rv4d6F14uMZzcJFHOAbnnCTzUjwkHNdOZueAULN8p6mq/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+147.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadly, the first thought in my head when I saw the the real Eiffel Tower was "It's so much bigger than the one in Las Vegas!" True Story.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCWD6F5EefmJ7-jPy6UFCPbeNOrDQ4RDka-AV7B5oYdYP6WTTpGT2mcARMrktiQmuyUTxHkVj-6r-LEdmsNzJ5n5EBqnhauTDcW6LoI0xFWd5btUF36IsQ0ipV93WOV3qmjbWWuQ-wqYd/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCWD6F5EefmJ7-jPy6UFCPbeNOrDQ4RDka-AV7B5oYdYP6WTTpGT2mcARMrktiQmuyUTxHkVj-6r-LEdmsNzJ5n5EBqnhauTDcW6LoI0xFWd5btUF36IsQ0ipV93WOV3qmjbWWuQ-wqYd/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+150.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f7_2GgYtxveIXGPrAnYArrqX0pnOVo3o1cB2vTNx5l6L4ZmhPKH2WEGd5kz72zWCvkiZE57tJmnKPNV73c5IJ2lIBDOlK5AArukwHQjBArl92mQmIM6Yw65199WZomihuRASY0mvW9Pm/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f7_2GgYtxveIXGPrAnYArrqX0pnOVo3o1cB2vTNx5l6L4ZmhPKH2WEGd5kz72zWCvkiZE57tJmnKPNV73c5IJ2lIBDOlK5AArukwHQjBArl92mQmIM6Yw65199WZomihuRASY0mvW9Pm/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+143.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is fall at last!</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPVsXZD_MCGQkPDpTMEYnm3g5IpT90sZPBT9f4H2d6sqLqiIDvCxnuIT9sX46t3qX4hFkRB1n1QGe4i57K7y5Tk30ujBvV3Tl1rA-X6B4D-6TZAg5vN6fyZ9RIKzQy8szCg0RPsPS62_Z/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+146edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPVsXZD_MCGQkPDpTMEYnm3g5IpT90sZPBT9f4H2d6sqLqiIDvCxnuIT9sX46t3qX4hFkRB1n1QGe4i57K7y5Tk30ujBvV3Tl1rA-X6B4D-6TZAg5vN6fyZ9RIKzQy8szCg0RPsPS62_Z/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+146edited.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Made it to the Eiffel Tower!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB0vObgqfOYW7ijeWjJSVxNu9kz3L0tG6iNeanNvyyRpTbFwkbk0PNHuWP5kqKRTGzUQSKSgp32ZirsI85OMwBIUwk3yf3UpDuLKEcdJSErWasDPQojo5PsZtCFcdjWz3u3ws155ok-1U/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnB0vObgqfOYW7ijeWjJSVxNu9kz3L0tG6iNeanNvyyRpTbFwkbk0PNHuWP5kqKRTGzUQSKSgp32ZirsI85OMwBIUwk3yf3UpDuLKEcdJSErWasDPQojo5PsZtCFcdjWz3u3ws155ok-1U/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+164.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Paris from the Steps of the Sacre Coeur Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFPmzcvaWotYPpng6kSZwVYDYL-gaikkXHtrWt_P221CTCg1gDi_TuYYhpjfqB_U2EWTseCzyyy9q8SJ9g3Jkw18Gc47AKQqadi_T3ISBPZEiLIPfYysJPSAPMIIlyL6PQGRXhTgiYIvr/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUFPmzcvaWotYPpng6kSZwVYDYL-gaikkXHtrWt_P221CTCg1gDi_TuYYhpjfqB_U2EWTseCzyyy9q8SJ9g3Jkw18Gc47AKQqadi_T3ISBPZEiLIPfYysJPSAPMIIlyL6PQGRXhTgiYIvr/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+162.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a huge party going on outside of the Sacre Coeur! The St. Vincent DePaul society was hear to join in! (Note the very serious man in this picture. Kinda creepy) </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUbPCb5OFQVkWKIFEMgKVMjmHtL93GRhB2UfT5BZ5HorwiJlkQKWes3PGlomS6YmSATuvtQalwjIEw6273Af2DtFUNXQvirnS7fZ3KOv3BPstSaTkLsH4OpDlvwzDe4ROcHefXmbSZA8v/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUbPCb5OFQVkWKIFEMgKVMjmHtL93GRhB2UfT5BZ5HorwiJlkQKWes3PGlomS6YmSATuvtQalwjIEw6273Af2DtFUNXQvirnS7fZ3KOv3BPstSaTkLsH4OpDlvwzDe4ROcHefXmbSZA8v/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+163.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sacre Coeur up close and personal. The steps of this Basilica were the place to be!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSKcFSJyMDpgilDpayNqcsyW-MHRwwspFCMisHEHgBhqr0BBVe_Xrdi9KQh_3FtyEESTRcT25bxOfs8vHp0oDx6kkcRIuMbG5Df8GAKhA4ogrASHIcMlRKueUtA3rqDCMmeNiGf3NVeR2/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuSKcFSJyMDpgilDpayNqcsyW-MHRwwspFCMisHEHgBhqr0BBVe_Xrdi9KQh_3FtyEESTRcT25bxOfs8vHp0oDx6kkcRIuMbG5Df8GAKhA4ogrASHIcMlRKueUtA3rqDCMmeNiGf3NVeR2/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+169.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smile! I'm in Paris!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs-BoyI0-oBWAv82wTjReEeOeOxbbEkwgzFruz3k5FqlQkB7a83nXt8yaYk5jDYEy-WLvbHkPhlffYuVkh-5gpkjsqSxrDM6BVxtbeo4OsbrwTug_EgeqjW8WWtNz8R3W6_VSCoS_kn5m/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUs-BoyI0-oBWAv82wTjReEeOeOxbbEkwgzFruz3k5FqlQkB7a83nXt8yaYk5jDYEy-WLvbHkPhlffYuVkh-5gpkjsqSxrDM6BVxtbeo4OsbrwTug_EgeqjW8WWtNz8R3W6_VSCoS_kn5m/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+170.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perpetual Adoration takes place in the main church in the Sacre Couer. It was such an amazing Church! The Benedictine nuns there were so sweet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VJ5aiaAk_v9bNBxgg33iyk7Lmf6FqsXiGhJx0ExkeSGKSIIrnaK5xG_1Ox7yNRRPJ08vmMw4OP-hHMQZzwn2PTTDFmqd3DxlJITiYg1_anAX2ZdpCeTHOGEHUl82dhgrQ6HeptHeec2G/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+160edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VJ5aiaAk_v9bNBxgg33iyk7Lmf6FqsXiGhJx0ExkeSGKSIIrnaK5xG_1Ox7yNRRPJ08vmMw4OP-hHMQZzwn2PTTDFmqd3DxlJITiYg1_anAX2ZdpCeTHOGEHUl82dhgrQ6HeptHeec2G/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+160edited.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soup: The perfect comfort food on a rainy day!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2sEGkaIVDqTNOnSeIrSS1wsSbbo3KP7jYYLSxjmgCEZALfbcJ_i9x1bkwjweo43a6ofQutJuXQvrk-lz0yi8j4_1eM7QH1g3wvlOw2Hbmrebs7Q8Q86uyMS1WOACHmlHezBrVetOtP8q/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv2sEGkaIVDqTNOnSeIrSS1wsSbbo3KP7jYYLSxjmgCEZALfbcJ_i9x1bkwjweo43a6ofQutJuXQvrk-lz0yi8j4_1eM7QH1g3wvlOw2Hbmrebs7Q8Q86uyMS1WOACHmlHezBrVetOtP8q/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+171.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is for my beautiful sister, Gabrielle! A street wholly dedicated to you!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMjZCp4Rj9ivew-etX4jLGr6XIncn7s-7APql-_UacJGCoZEu9lohemc0RXzMWCBmJ2NI98Fb4gN8YLLkQwxIB6G9Ct_ePTvrFS1_UhlcYuVWot_OdqbQTAbqaS16D4bVD0rk8exSwTKV/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMjZCp4Rj9ivew-etX4jLGr6XIncn7s-7APql-_UacJGCoZEu9lohemc0RXzMWCBmJ2NI98Fb4gN8YLLkQwxIB6G9Ct_ePTvrFS1_UhlcYuVWot_OdqbQTAbqaS16D4bVD0rk8exSwTKV/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+172.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An awesome hat stand that made me want to be super cute and French.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakarembxb-FRhhk_JMiyTQo_2j7psaShkcDmlIGuzDe4TSsz_ux101xt-tUdthhpHTAphekwe1mZUsetzOW6BJusbEBafOR892FiYUD2OIH1rAR0zWpPGkRVkq26GqdtcWIrCAWNhW5Fp/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakarembxb-FRhhk_JMiyTQo_2j7psaShkcDmlIGuzDe4TSsz_ux101xt-tUdthhpHTAphekwe1mZUsetzOW6BJusbEBafOR892FiYUD2OIH1rAR0zWpPGkRVkq26GqdtcWIrCAWNhW5Fp/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+175.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca got to enjoy corn on the cob! I'm not sure how french it is but it was really good (so I heard).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P6K-_yd-cjMtJLf6bhPOvs7ZO0MChoQkNWn5M1FF0N-CjQIhFJFQOOKxRpNUnFMNUrlt_0OA6uX8DOJytUh3SjPIzPjE3puqlcXsWpxUQDCxbXZKbjiHmzebGM-3FEQnwTe8U2h5P5xo/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3P6K-_yd-cjMtJLf6bhPOvs7ZO0MChoQkNWn5M1FF0N-CjQIhFJFQOOKxRpNUnFMNUrlt_0OA6uX8DOJytUh3SjPIzPjE3puqlcXsWpxUQDCxbXZKbjiHmzebGM-3FEQnwTe8U2h5P5xo/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+140.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun was trying to peak out from behind the clouds on this rainy Parisian day.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSZDzYZ4voW2BI8_A1LL-q4J94zU5eHY_3SmsTGibxhw6iQu7LS2SvW2jYP5joEEJ5pakaNEcWS_LWoLGbUedpj7v_B3DV2CxZgFMgyny-JUdQJOqq0M88eSn9fG9m7SPIPR57p9agQKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSZDzYZ4voW2BI8_A1LL-q4J94zU5eHY_3SmsTGibxhw6iQu7LS2SvW2jYP5joEEJ5pakaNEcWS_LWoLGbUedpj7v_B3DV2CxZgFMgyny-JUdQJOqq0M88eSn9fG9m7SPIPR57p9agQKQ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+030.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
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This weekend was incredible! I feel so blessed to have seen so much in so short a time! I would go back to Paris in a heartbeat!</div>
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God bless you this week! </div>
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<i>-Michela</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Ouleaqf3haW7A-nd_LCUfzn877BFEafqtHLaSYeaw-qvxN4LOX4ZI4_gUUJrXplNoTILNkqn1unmeTdWNlA16uqwBs4NEaHaR7U40Y90Hrlm-1hngcxXZFY3D77nQipBa0xedqC4LS5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE6Ouleaqf3haW7A-nd_LCUfzn877BFEafqtHLaSYeaw-qvxN4LOX4ZI4_gUUJrXplNoTILNkqn1unmeTdWNlA16uqwBs4NEaHaR7U40Y90Hrlm-1hngcxXZFY3D77nQipBa0xedqC4LS5/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBz-9N-iUTXt8sfqp-CrUxp5Hv1YUrGbUjtDXYY9a6LWq747u-hBG-IBFF9BYZHgHRHcNlfsBg0pa1Y0j7vURMLudzE5OMRrzHL8kMR4rxrvfO7VuH8oTpwZYwWu_SJYhFDFimLbIJmIP/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzBz-9N-iUTXt8sfqp-CrUxp5Hv1YUrGbUjtDXYY9a6LWq747u-hBG-IBFF9BYZHgHRHcNlfsBg0pa1Y0j7vURMLudzE5OMRrzHL8kMR4rxrvfO7VuH8oTpwZYwWu_SJYhFDFimLbIJmIP/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+042.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning walk to the train station.</td></tr>
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This weekend was another Globe trotting adventure, but to do it justice I have decided not to include everything in one blog post. It would be too overwhelming for you to read and not enjoyable for me to upload =] So here is part 1.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7rW9spizD2_opzfxbtlY3bjFpolinnNmfhQuTyLZjpNT0jUo-wmzYKfvtSPDW3ywFuGZHvNyg91oxgKU3rPT5HB1SrQWx8UZkIQuOxRWExwj7wwFefDe3Wj4AG3wBMl7DnLmjHK9MoRX/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7rW9spizD2_opzfxbtlY3bjFpolinnNmfhQuTyLZjpNT0jUo-wmzYKfvtSPDW3ywFuGZHvNyg91oxgKU3rPT5HB1SrQWx8UZkIQuOxRWExwj7wwFefDe3Wj4AG3wBMl7DnLmjHK9MoRX/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+044.jpg" width="200" /></a>This weekend 3 girls and myself went to Lisieux, France where St. Therese of Lisieux lived most of her life. I had started reading "Story of a Soul," a sort of autobiography by St. Therese before I left for Italy and I finished it on the train to Lisieux. First, travelling to Lisieux we had to take a train to Pisa, fly to Beauvais, Paris, walk to the train station and then take another 3 hour train to Lisieux. It was a complex puzzle but we figured it out with the intercession of St. Therese and the help of a few (unexpectedly) nice French folk. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xnPMIO42vnPIHHgtTEb6ZP8v_so_a_2AH7isw7GMqHx65fvagQAyrywBJDD2-3yaRKPSpo6rG8CeKeUiQXD7uXxaCnAkZdzHqRZz0NJwfJNdSjiov4Mvw2AzWaFVL-TZXfzojV6FbSOW/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xnPMIO42vnPIHHgtTEb6ZP8v_so_a_2AH7isw7GMqHx65fvagQAyrywBJDD2-3yaRKPSpo6rG8CeKeUiQXD7uXxaCnAkZdzHqRZz0NJwfJNdSjiov4Mvw2AzWaFVL-TZXfzojV6FbSOW/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+045.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This trip was no ordinary touristy trip for me. I wanted to make it a sort of pilgrimage. Learning about St. Therese's life I have realized what an amazing woman she was and a powerful intercessor she is. In the past I had asked for her intercession with making decisions and she had never failed me, so this was a great time to 1) thank her for her example and intercession, and 2) reflect and pray on how God is calling me to love as she loved.<br />
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We arrived in Beauvais and spent the night there. We started the next morning by getting up around 5 a.m. to walk to the train station and catch the earliest train to Lisieux. We wanted to get the maximum time in Lisieux possible. It was early morning when we arrived, and the sun was just starting to break the cloud cover. The whole scene was magical. It felt like a holy place when we were climbing the hill to the basilica. I can't describe the feeling but I knew that it would be a beautiful, grace-filled day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful day God made for us!<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When we got to the basilica there were very few people and it was very quiet. The basilica was beautiful with lots of art and beautiful flowers everywhere. Of course, the Little Flower's Basilica would smell of roses =]</span></td></tr>
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Me and St. Therese =]</div>
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After the initial orientation to Lisieux we went our hermitage and tried to communicate with the sisters. Let me tell you, after learning Italian for 2 months and then going into a country that only speaks French my head was all kinds of confused! But we managed to communicate! The hermitage itself was a very peaceful, large and beautiful complex used strictly pilgrims. The sisters there are so kind and generous.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDYoHUn_HfeeAqilQMq34DPnqO2lTt0YDoGFn5hGeMiecrPZUK49BFa11LiCXiYW5vyXPdsfCt7524Mjjt56bKbHkp3VH_pZprxeWj5MjVzs93bhCSefQy1Yua2nVGhoO5ZrEaVUdpwtH/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDYoHUn_HfeeAqilQMq34DPnqO2lTt0YDoGFn5hGeMiecrPZUK49BFa11LiCXiYW5vyXPdsfCt7524Mjjt56bKbHkp3VH_pZprxeWj5MjVzs93bhCSefQy1Yua2nVGhoO5ZrEaVUdpwtH/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+068.jpg" width="150" /></a>We decided to explore the town a little after making our plan for the day and ended up getting some delicious French bread (Note: French bread is way better in France than anywhere else!) and finding the Cathedral that St. Therese's family were parishioners at. It was amazing! After reading "Story of a Soul" it was great to be able to see all the places she spoke of. These included: the chapel that she went to daily mass at and prayed for the conversion of the convict, Pranzini; the confessional where she received her first communion; the high altar her father donated to the Cathedral; the chapel her family attended Sunday mass at. It was an amazing, almost unreal experience walking and praying in the very places she had been a few hundred years before.<br />
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Walking around Lisieux in itself was amazing. It is a small French town. There are flower shops on every corner and almost as many bakeries. It is a totally different feel than any Italian town I have been in thus far. I really enjoyed it. The drivers were so pedestrian friendly! Very unlike Italy!<br />
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After our stroll around town we saw the place where St. Therese's body lay. It is so beautiful how many people bring flowers to her tomb in thanks for her powerful intercession. In a small museum connected to the chapel there were tons of testimonies to the powerful intercession of this littlest of nuns who was a powerful intercessor. It's no wonder she is the patron of missionaries, because her intercession and love of God has changed so many hearts around the world and spread the Gospel to so many people by her "little way" of love.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-l7fy2jgh193MNYKopwuNcwWhlkZL11o7-icQuMCHhLmmkjSFu4SSlzNVc8NTMIo7-2YVtb8exZynwW-UKYbpJ5jjCBWzE3ZeTumTk9pRnPELijeBc-usWIA_9tGlbXYioj58xnf4F8U/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-l7fy2jgh193MNYKopwuNcwWhlkZL11o7-icQuMCHhLmmkjSFu4SSlzNVc8NTMIo7-2YVtb8exZynwW-UKYbpJ5jjCBWzE3ZeTumTk9pRnPELijeBc-usWIA_9tGlbXYioj58xnf4F8U/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+100.jpg" width="200" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOo8pNNqY-ZMJ3VRTeehWb3yCLV4BKVdhOa3Ff0FVNI945CNkV_HiHi7R8Xd4e2pvXRFMcZW663_JWUdHtWguP36Wd3EdWtXAYhYenBoICoa6jD9nYYxAn_GY7aaa_EUXhz6pyST5SfbC/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSOo8pNNqY-ZMJ3VRTeehWb3yCLV4BKVdhOa3Ff0FVNI945CNkV_HiHi7R8Xd4e2pvXRFMcZW663_JWUdHtWguP36Wd3EdWtXAYhYenBoICoa6jD9nYYxAn_GY7aaa_EUXhz6pyST5SfbC/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+083.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
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The visit didn't end there. We also were able to have a tour of her childhood home and see the place she grew up in and had her major conversion as relayed in the book. It was amazing to be in the place that was so dear to her heart, where she spent so many beautiful days with her father and sisters.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrGLIJac7F2Uyr3TC__TnKfOKeQiNWMvsjIbJ4Svy2LTuFsKr4DH_Z3cl6t27EA_KF0_KThDM4_0Dtm5ipqDQHzDfVSWoovSS8JIaDqwJ5c8k7uQrFR9-zm7LtgHSrg2Vg2i-C1H2eIHs/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrGLIJac7F2Uyr3TC__TnKfOKeQiNWMvsjIbJ4Svy2LTuFsKr4DH_Z3cl6t27EA_KF0_KThDM4_0Dtm5ipqDQHzDfVSWoovSS8JIaDqwJ5c8k7uQrFR9-zm7LtgHSrg2Vg2i-C1H2eIHs/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+093.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz00lv8x5GqwEnZmaTpFtDZc37dpGO_Ld_g1IDpdFA5435k0vB-bb7ibJKSuvIMlerw8XMrtCxafWxocGfeZ1yDfvY-SNfruZsXDOv5EEMxiQBZJk-3fa9DLUnhdrPeqzjtYnzj2l5PMJ/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz00lv8x5GqwEnZmaTpFtDZc37dpGO_Ld_g1IDpdFA5435k0vB-bb7ibJKSuvIMlerw8XMrtCxafWxocGfeZ1yDfvY-SNfruZsXDOv5EEMxiQBZJk-3fa9DLUnhdrPeqzjtYnzj2l5PMJ/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+099.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
After our visit we walked up the hill again to the basilica and were able to go to mass in the crypt. It was so beautiful, but I am really starting to feel the strain of listening to a homily in a foreign language and not understanding any of it. I will be so happy to hear the mass in English again! I will never take it for granted! No matter how long or boring the homily might be, at least I'll understand it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbq45_v7-Vz71q6u9OUaxbG7b0Qpn6LLMnd_jOYqRioe8baxkq-r4XlOBFO2qpHlEHUXMkcz6Ym_f5juBBnjCE1osMknVqPnusnivrYxkHOU-CzXp2mRKSB3RamzdHmuvljaR2Lzt59MR/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbq45_v7-Vz71q6u9OUaxbG7b0Qpn6LLMnd_jOYqRioe8baxkq-r4XlOBFO2qpHlEHUXMkcz6Ym_f5juBBnjCE1osMknVqPnusnivrYxkHOU-CzXp2mRKSB3RamzdHmuvljaR2Lzt59MR/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+102.jpg" width="200" /></a>We spent the rest of the evening walking around Lisieux, eating French bread, and receiving third class relics of St. Therese from the Carmelite sisters! SO Cool! I got to keep a rose petal that was under her tomb when her body was exhumed. I feel very blessed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr0_c5ETKXZChQdQeo1tfxPl7lM1U2BSetqowgNiGoguKvymMbnOThf5wQpKifUoaRbd_yxwfi6G0FfEn9G-YN5NXBMYRBdD3-m5ZNPt8M_qAqQ4WQst1jjdvwuO2LPcwEFAFmMT0jjJx/s1600/tijuanalisieuxparis+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr0_c5ETKXZChQdQeo1tfxPl7lM1U2BSetqowgNiGoguKvymMbnOThf5wQpKifUoaRbd_yxwfi6G0FfEn9G-YN5NXBMYRBdD3-m5ZNPt8M_qAqQ4WQst1jjdvwuO2LPcwEFAFmMT0jjJx/s200/tijuanalisieuxparis+098.jpg" width="200" /></a>After such an eventful day I slept quite soundly. We had another early morning train ride the next day to get to Paris so sleep was much needed. Overall it was an amazingly blessed day! God was so present with us <br />
all day. Getting to see all the places that St. Therese slept, ate, walked, prayed (just living her life!) allowed me to realize the reality that she was a normal person just like you and me who had an extraordinary love of God that transformed her life as well as the lives of those around her. It really inspires me to live out my "vocation of love" just as she did and to let God transform even the smallest events in daily life.<br />
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Michela<br />
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<i>St. Therese, pray for us that we may turn our hearts and minds towards God. Pray for us that we would live simply and love boldly. That we would be missionaries of God's love to everyone we meet and turn even the littlest suffering into a beautiful gift for the glory of God. Amen.</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-86706572726000648782012-10-09T14:12:00.001-07:002012-10-09T14:12:16.098-07:00Treasures of Umbria<i>jmj</i><br />
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This weekend our class took a trip to the region of Umbria, visiting Assisi, Norcia, and Perugia.<br />
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Assisi, Italy. </h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Home of St. Francis: The Man, The Myth, The Legend. (No but seriously, he's the man)</span></div>
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First church we stopped in was a "pre-Franciscan" Church in Assisi dedicated to St. Peter. Before St. Francis the Crucifix did not reflect the pain and suffering that Jesus went through. Also, churches were built to that the altar space was much higher than the knave. This was to represent the distance between the lay people and the religious. Because of St. Francis all of that changed. Jesus' suffering was portrayed as a reminder of his humanity, and less emphasis was put on the separation between laity and the religious because he saw Christ equally in all those he met. </div>
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Side note: Crazy to think that St. Francis probably went to Mass here with his parents! </div>
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The Basilica of St. Francis. It is three churches built on top of one another! They were setting up all the chairs in front for a big conference they were having that night where the Italian President was going to speak to lots of important people. </div>
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The doors to the lower church. </div>
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The doors leading into the upper church. I like doors.</div>
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The front of the Basilica. The amazing lawn out front made me want to go golfing... no just kidding, that's what my dad would say. But it did seem to be begging for a few picnickers!</div>
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Eating our lunch in the piazza with Cabrini and Kendra. I feel so lucky to be traveling with so many amazing people!</div>
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There was a large street market crowding the normally quiet streets of Assisi. One of the stands had these little puppies! They were just too cute to pass! I'm pretty sure I could take him home, right?</div>
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After strolling the streets of Assisi we took a hike down to the little church that St. Francis built at God's bidding, San Damiano. No pictures of the inside are available because... well, because I'm a rule follower :)</div>
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This corner in the convent above the San Damiano church was where St. Claire died. St. Clare, Pray for us! It was a beautiful church, you will just have to take my word for it.</div>
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St. Francis' Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon. It was written in Italian, "the people's tongue" so that all could give praise to God. St. Francis gave it to the sisters living in the convent at San Damiano.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Ovn2mgyYjrWTvcV0Ttuv7klocjYDrxu4MN21eNneKaBcNlIdUacfEzmfjceRuW4n31LSJyRsolNr_BzhTWgrq8EYoQh6liZ0hTpOvYT2P6P3kxxbktApW5Qga-dT9-8WVipM1wP7TJN/s1600/firenze&assisi&norcia&+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV8Ovn2mgyYjrWTvcV0Ttuv7klocjYDrxu4MN21eNneKaBcNlIdUacfEzmfjceRuW4n31LSJyRsolNr_BzhTWgrq8EYoQh6liZ0hTpOvYT2P6P3kxxbktApW5Qga-dT9-8WVipM1wP7TJN/s320/firenze&assisi&norcia&+043.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A peaceful outdoor chapel in the courtyard of San Damiano.</div>
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Hiking to San Damiano. Coming up was even more fun! </div>
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the next day we headed to<br />
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Norcia</h2>
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The Birthplace of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica. </h4>
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This place had a special place in our hearts because of its connection with the patron saint of our school. We are proud Benedictine Ravens :)</div>
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The fog was really heavy when we arrived. You can't tell but just on the other side of this cloud cover are many hills surrounding the town.</div>
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Then we headed into town center. </div>
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In this old Roman town square there were two Catholic churches, the first one, the Cathedral in Norcia dedicated to the Blessed Mother, the second, a Basilica dedicated to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica as it is said to be built on their birthplace. Two very impressive buildings for a humble little town.</div>
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Piazza.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7aEOf8rc9SINRGkPrHE9PYo_31U_8EIbzSJo7FQLAAV1TaQ6gfCX6nZPUPoDkoPlX54tzqzOU82OnyJW2REHOefF0rceULGI17JthiTiiARSEuSJQqa2qEw8kmRYlQWR6ZSL43qg5Syx/s1600/firenze&assisi&norcia&+053edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7aEOf8rc9SINRGkPrHE9PYo_31U_8EIbzSJo7FQLAAV1TaQ6gfCX6nZPUPoDkoPlX54tzqzOU82OnyJW2REHOefF0rceULGI17JthiTiiARSEuSJQqa2qEw8kmRYlQWR6ZSL43qg5Syx/s320/firenze&assisi&norcia&+053edited.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Me, getting a little artsy in the Chapel of St. Benedict.</div>
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The chapel under the Basilica to Sts. Benedict and Scholastica.</div>
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The diamond cut stones in this wall are remains of the walls that the Romans built when this town was built. They would have been here before the time that Benedict was born, cerca 480 A.D.. That's over 1500 years ago! So old.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMB4BaIgshlEEwjOb982PbiRBzkeSEbUDRadbrqjzEHLqpySd_FoRh2i5T-YFRhEgsL9z6yzIEkWpT6RzBqzkPXk2hDqZfCMUdHKMIl6wy_p4CX6Hjnzs0dmLK9hs7Ub37QsUzCldcIly/s1600/firenze&assisi&norcia&+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEMB4BaIgshlEEwjOb982PbiRBzkeSEbUDRadbrqjzEHLqpySd_FoRh2i5T-YFRhEgsL9z6yzIEkWpT6RzBqzkPXk2hDqZfCMUdHKMIl6wy_p4CX6Hjnzs0dmLK9hs7Ub37QsUzCldcIly/s320/firenze&assisi&norcia&+065.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There were tons of beautiful balconies on every house. Loved walking through the old quiet streets. Picture photobombed ;) Good one Mark.</div>
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This little chocolate shop in Norcia posted the "Bestest Chocolate of the World!" Note to self, stay away from GoogleTranslate next time. I tried the chocolate, its claim is under speculation. I wasn't convinced. </div>
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Cabrini and I wandering the streets of Norcia. We made great bus buddies.</div>
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A classic Fiat 500 that Francesco, our tour guide and teacher, insisted we take a minute to appreciate. It is a rather cute car. </div>
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So long Norcia! It was great getting to know you! Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, Pray for us!</div>
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Saturday came and went and on Sunday we got up for a tour of...</div>
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Perugia</h2>
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Just Perugia.</h4>
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This is an ancient Etruscan arch possibly from the 3rd century BC, that was preserved by the Romans. Crazy to think of all the people in centuries past that have walked through this arch. I'm just one of many.</div>
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On our way to Perugia we stopped to see this amazing view of Il Piano Grande, The Great Plane. </div>
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Doesn't this just make you want to frolick? That's just what I did! The afternoon on the mountain top was not complete with my fair share of frolicking. </div>
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Queen of the world! And in case you were wondering, no I'm not wearing capris. The wind just made my skirt look like shorts. Awkward. </div>
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Happy campers. After seeing a lot of churches and cities, Kendra and I were happy to be surrounded by God's beautiful creation.</div>
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Maddie, Annie and I soaking in God's glory! </div>
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More beauty...</div>
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Carriage rides on Il Piano Grande.</div>
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The biggest stain-glass window in Italy in San Domenico's Church in Perugia. The rest of the church was very stark and bare. This window was the focal point of the entire church.</div>
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Tomb stone of Marcus Aurelius, the emporer in Gladiator. Pretty neat.</div>
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An old car show going through Perugia. The city was all a bustle this Sunday afternoon.</div>
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The oldest thing in Perugia is this fountain that displayed the Romans accomplishment of bringing water from the valley, up the hill to the city center. </div>
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Francesco was our fearless guide and witty professor the whole weekend. Good times with Francesco.</div>
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The view from the hilltop of Perugia.</div>
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And that my friends is the picture story of my weekend. I hope you enjoyed. </h3>
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To all my family and friends back home: I miss you all very much. I can't believe that I'll be in the States in 6 weeks! Time goes by so fast, yet so slow at the same time. God is doing a lot in my heart right now. I'm so grateful for His love and grace in my life. </div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Michela</div>
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p.s. As I'm writing this my eyes are getting heavy, so please forgive any bad grammar or corny jokes. The bad grammar is due to need of sleep. The corny jokes have no excuse. Forgive them anyway.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-91939570963208191082012-10-02T08:19:00.000-07:002012-10-02T08:19:04.750-07:00Whirlwind Weekend // Verona, Padua & Venice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>jmj</i><br />
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<i>This past weekend I headed up a little farther north with three lovely women to explore Verona, Padova (Padua) and Venezia (Venice). Here is what we found:</i></h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Verona:</span><br />
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It's fall at last! Being in Verona on Friday was the first time that I felt like it was fall here in Italy. Some of the trees on the hillside next to the villa have changed color, but in Verona its undeniable. The falling leaves, the cool breeze, the pumpkins... It all reminded me that it really is fall! Sweater and scarf time! The best time of the year!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-zOYzJewg_3o1lTqo9VCWrf-Y84o0L_buRrTY7ZK-RWiyCwy3s6sgtTEPvpIqbe4-86YH_aD9n22AbxW3-4aWW_ZiiOtP-XNcyUV1emYIVzBPZmHe7Z5kKjS6E3ImSfD3r2EHqJ-P-ya/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-zOYzJewg_3o1lTqo9VCWrf-Y84o0L_buRrTY7ZK-RWiyCwy3s6sgtTEPvpIqbe4-86YH_aD9n22AbxW3-4aWW_ZiiOtP-XNcyUV1emYIVzBPZmHe7Z5kKjS6E3ImSfD3r2EHqJ-P-ya/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first scenes of Verona!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJyOnhCuJYnp0UY05rR-nSL8dl_rNiiS2vcNB69lPtD5AgMklCYzuE5Z6d4U1cjgJqva1S8W_0ND-zbHz1yoO9hZP895Q3yhe0JrAxdJYA6Sv9f6DXMDPZ_hLuZ5o0Rg5yS2xnXGFGecd/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJyOnhCuJYnp0UY05rR-nSL8dl_rNiiS2vcNB69lPtD5AgMklCYzuE5Z6d4U1cjgJqva1S8W_0ND-zbHz1yoO9hZP895Q3yhe0JrAxdJYA6Sv9f6DXMDPZ_hLuZ5o0Rg5yS2xnXGFGecd/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picturesque view of Verona! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxmenrBN4K6S37fIAts_cLRp2MpWFvUXVVgvsGT2LUBkPkIPJ44v3R9W3lacBXxRfPZ85vUSUwN2y8xQmySBj6sQjEW80c9TMn8dWJETVFAX09J8jD7A5OtVpqT2qs_TKKi5-O89rZcjH/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxmenrBN4K6S37fIAts_cLRp2MpWFvUXVVgvsGT2LUBkPkIPJ44v3R9W3lacBXxRfPZ85vUSUwN2y8xQmySBj6sQjEW80c9TMn8dWJETVFAX09J8jD7A5OtVpqT2qs_TKKi5-O89rZcjH/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+072.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maddie and I taking it all in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGGlfZrIrLAl9IaWUyZk9IMIrH7rmI7o9DrrVjmi6g_5m08AE7swgbBgfQhqFkJ1R47IgV4UKzUVve9NecQratUtq-vXoxlqf6wqsLhpCYc7Be5XzdT-2omwRjtiuL_xobfyy6RqflMCf/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGGlfZrIrLAl9IaWUyZk9IMIrH7rmI7o9DrrVjmi6g_5m08AE7swgbBgfQhqFkJ1R47IgV4UKzUVve9NecQratUtq-vXoxlqf6wqsLhpCYc7Be5XzdT-2omwRjtiuL_xobfyy6RqflMCf/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+076.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going for a swim. No big.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUABkj8PG9im9fxIsYsMjza66bcVuVzKB2BKxNmiGtx0Uu2W3WbR_DvpsjW3-xxp_RzVb7l8DowhYKaoHEjswbDwUvSCX1aXraBZbNHKMYouBWrRW5Hm6WLI2q0GJQnSuhG9kwQJaTQBU/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUABkj8PG9im9fxIsYsMjza66bcVuVzKB2BKxNmiGtx0Uu2W3WbR_DvpsjW3-xxp_RzVb7l8DowhYKaoHEjswbDwUvSCX1aXraBZbNHKMYouBWrRW5Hm6WLI2q0GJQnSuhG9kwQJaTQBU/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+079.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Roman ruins surrounding Verona.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW3PF4-JQ9SPdfCNRQ3umssOg9NRM0OLjUPGmGpN2Q6xdnwNq7cawXPPzZsbvMYWy8txxZ5hG3vLb5dFNmJtK1LiVMs_929YEacCyYh4OG0FC_qFRpqQRF-sDNd9hS6LfQonBIBp2u1F9/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW3PF4-JQ9SPdfCNRQ3umssOg9NRM0OLjUPGmGpN2Q6xdnwNq7cawXPPzZsbvMYWy8txxZ5hG3vLb5dFNmJtK1LiVMs_929YEacCyYh4OG0FC_qFRpqQRF-sDNd9hS6LfQonBIBp2u1F9/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+088.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something that I've had to adjust to is the unusual bathrooms. Example: Pictured above is a "Turkish bathroom." Try to figure this one out for yourself. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79pszQ3ZHwgKoAahIixxetqdT71utwH85E14LtSXnHMLKfARJ041LdWdYevbpIteCrsZDQntWORfLmuY3Hhc5gY1JNaywbsWf6f4Hf-0gfFXTwvoDQzHk17v7S1JovzhZw3IhMgAT5AvW/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+094.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79pszQ3ZHwgKoAahIixxetqdT71utwH85E14LtSXnHMLKfARJ041LdWdYevbpIteCrsZDQntWORfLmuY3Hhc5gY1JNaywbsWf6f4Hf-0gfFXTwvoDQzHk17v7S1JovzhZw3IhMgAT5AvW/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+094.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing architecture. This church was left incomplete after starting to be built. Builders got bored I guess....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDct5SeUg0ngUmpcQaC05UXD3SufapHPkmQkNTtxhc8VwHcZDk-eDzfoDGlYj5RUko1ee-edeFhQZiichSxHVTHg0Cdb2FSiEZcwojNw75xtpbyzCyMgJ0ZGStBJ7k0ti2PJ1uV3yNu0wV/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDct5SeUg0ngUmpcQaC05UXD3SufapHPkmQkNTtxhc8VwHcZDk-eDzfoDGlYj5RUko1ee-edeFhQZiichSxHVTHg0Cdb2FSiEZcwojNw75xtpbyzCyMgJ0ZGStBJ7k0ti2PJ1uV3yNu0wV/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+020.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inviting streets around every corner.</td></tr>
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I honestly didn't know what to expect besides Juliette's house. Apparently Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona so every year people flock to Verona to see the balcony where Juliette stood as Romeo called out for her... Ahhh, so romantic. Actually it wasn't very romantic because it is really just a crowded courtyard with tons of tourists, but it was fun to see it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-Q5N0sf5CI7xViG8DA5XVwOFBpZ7hZ8RChMVTezBSlRRX0TI0VfjsKhRhQikId8TSS8J3hLY-bHxHjj-_b-Zj8KH_qsFYvj_puRJwpDSSnv0FJotcIGoSZmZfCA_XSyppn_kr_-rjCmN/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv-Q5N0sf5CI7xViG8DA5XVwOFBpZ7hZ8RChMVTezBSlRRX0TI0VfjsKhRhQikId8TSS8J3hLY-bHxHjj-_b-Zj8KH_qsFYvj_puRJwpDSSnv0FJotcIGoSZmZfCA_XSyppn_kr_-rjCmN/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+044.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letters to Juliette! There wasn't a wall. I was a little disappointed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQvGlpyXRphG309anOQ06tKwiiPZ355oR9i0-t5AAQOIunnscUFWnZYaCWupCwGI9Z4rovR9MSpN7ji71VNb0FDn-zEhJttyW-Fi9AkJ3RkeCPpvQv-YQUFdGseZTFjJp4F9D7ilw9WZC/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+locks" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQvGlpyXRphG309anOQ06tKwiiPZ355oR9i0-t5AAQOIunnscUFWnZYaCWupCwGI9Z4rovR9MSpN7ji71VNb0FDn-zEhJttyW-Fi9AkJ3RkeCPpvQv-YQUFdGseZTFjJp4F9D7ilw9WZC/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+locks" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More "locks of Love" in the courtyard of Juliette's house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis031DUk-u4EG_ExYmfPnDsupnfTXFKpX4EzsA4rocxeZGzfl_9JV5NygHPKK7ivPgQ_E4_dyCrX4XU5qHIJ1wyPYfknZYvjf8N1_HMd7Xzy8KckJJeonxLsLOIT64t3aP6PV2Bvu5IsPy/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis031DUk-u4EG_ExYmfPnDsupnfTXFKpX4EzsA4rocxeZGzfl_9JV5NygHPKK7ivPgQ_E4_dyCrX4XU5qHIJ1wyPYfknZYvjf8N1_HMd7Xzy8KckJJeonxLsLOIT64t3aP6PV2Bvu5IsPy/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+027.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walls going into the courtyard were covered with gum and band-aids. Interesting choice of materials to memorialize your visit. </td></tr>
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Other than a couple of sad lovers, Verona was an amazing city! It was sophisticated and beautiful and oh so clean! It was the first thing I noticed, I was so impressed by its cleanliness. I told the other girls I felt like I was at Disneyland! There were well manicured parks and benches everywhere, the sidewalks were large and clean, made of pink marble, a ton of expensive shopping, and loads of colorful street entertainers. It really felt like the happiest place on earth! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJAQccCRXCx-IkX2uxwaA2B_3S_193mfblp8z7HaF3QSTmOdCuEbsG4pK6ELO5eBnQBkJrPtk8_8fc5RonJoe0sV1OJd3jIEdklBKxsbcGgf3EPaLsWvwGi8IGMRZ5d-DtQFWmodtoRL4/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJAQccCRXCx-IkX2uxwaA2B_3S_193mfblp8z7HaF3QSTmOdCuEbsG4pK6ELO5eBnQBkJrPtk8_8fc5RonJoe0sV1OJd3jIEdklBKxsbcGgf3EPaLsWvwGi8IGMRZ5d-DtQFWmodtoRL4/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+023.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Street Performers Galore! How do they do that?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQycYpJ-zHtWqmJu_fkjVtodOBaxM3TOYzr0hQzy22wthG1q3AEcr5nL9e9Ng07M9p6Nb5xTz4CSiZD0GQgb-L7fvLp2E9YokTpzi5MmOAYoM2Qvb9jRladSNjQzC-3J4kx4RVcc89Rit/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQycYpJ-zHtWqmJu_fkjVtodOBaxM3TOYzr0hQzy22wthG1q3AEcr5nL9e9Ng07M9p6Nb5xTz4CSiZD0GQgb-L7fvLp2E9YokTpzi5MmOAYoM2Qvb9jRladSNjQzC-3J4kx4RVcc89Rit/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+022.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They even had a Disney store! I really felt like I was at Disneyland. All I was missing were the ears!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-IvDHOMcWTMB8Vv5YMs-BpE-jW8Axo7fF8ZGvK8VnjVa_wNOtsZ-IUeH-cIXkXU31YFbkJylei_um6oOtPx7_6pAUpbqc-oa2acxBbzjK9Q0tpR4XZW2COMZk88EnXEzzHxOAC5HBCZx/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-IvDHOMcWTMB8Vv5YMs-BpE-jW8Axo7fF8ZGvK8VnjVa_wNOtsZ-IUeH-cIXkXU31YFbkJylei_um6oOtPx7_6pAUpbqc-oa2acxBbzjK9Q0tpR4XZW2COMZk88EnXEzzHxOAC5HBCZx/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful parks with fountains made my heart happy.</td></tr>
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After our afternoon in Verona we set off for our next stop...</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Padova</span></div>
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Padova (or Padua as we say in the States) is the home of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of lost articles. Since I can remember I have asked St. Anthony to help me in trivial matters, finding lost earrings, parking spots, etc... I thought I better do myself a favor and learn more about him before I paid him a visit. What did he do that was so incredible? Little did I know!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Xj9dwDYKzayJj8tDy3i-5PhCflLO7f61ObgSwkMdKQxFaW5OKyhxFfNn4iIhjgZkm_mvPMYX8Z4VmH1DZ0R_qozc7GLpr2m82AGSO8ZoZPoUaLIdM1Eo_4baJbbHL8k4eX1l_eBUdcB/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Xj9dwDYKzayJj8tDy3i-5PhCflLO7f61ObgSwkMdKQxFaW5OKyhxFfNn4iIhjgZkm_mvPMYX8Z4VmH1DZ0R_qozc7GLpr2m82AGSO8ZoZPoUaLIdM1Eo_4baJbbHL8k4eX1l_eBUdcB/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+105.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The art didn't stay in the Church.</td></tr>
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St. Anthony was/is so legit! He was a simple man and then one day the Holy Spirit inspired him in his preaching and it never stopped after that! He preached the Gospel with such charisma and conviction that people's hearts were changed in dramatic ways after hearing him. He allowed the Holy Spirit to use his voice to such an extent that after he had died and was buried, hundreds of years later when they exhumed his remains they found that in the pile of ashes and dust that was his body, his tongue, vocal chords and jaw were incorrupt! </div>
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Say what?!! </div>
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I know! Crazy right?!?! That's what I thought when I saw them! They were framed in the Relic chapel behind the altar in the Cathedral of St. Anthony! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykFmoLL8zsJXwTLqskMRbre7v3eMR_pt5BnFKzpWYrFOEWQ2ASrxz0Rga7pTxLfruJQ-Oszdsr-dnjTI3JXhar1VwG-T9JkS2dCHs4YxSdK05T-zJH5zh_7LQRsfvx9oiO7ad6HuwBARx/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykFmoLL8zsJXwTLqskMRbre7v3eMR_pt5BnFKzpWYrFOEWQ2ASrxz0Rga7pTxLfruJQ-Oszdsr-dnjTI3JXhar1VwG-T9JkS2dCHs4YxSdK05T-zJH5zh_7LQRsfvx9oiO7ad6HuwBARx/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Basilica! I wish you could see the inside! It was even more magnificent than the facade! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ki02up9sEmdDWsigE5tKgHtDfO2v2TYuV-XF9nBx3uCEVQ59Xt8laAJZeytcrRI6CnA5oO1kR5f0Cj-FtmD7rdo7kSG-peVzFryifQ9Lz6yLNmYKuqULnaBItgSta_lOAvAZLgtOPJlM/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ki02up9sEmdDWsigE5tKgHtDfO2v2TYuV-XF9nBx3uCEVQ59Xt8laAJZeytcrRI6CnA5oO1kR5f0Cj-FtmD7rdo7kSG-peVzFryifQ9Lz6yLNmYKuqULnaBItgSta_lOAvAZLgtOPJlM/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+110.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">statue of St. Francis and the Child Jesus. Do you see Jesus chillin' in the air on the left?</td></tr>
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The Cathedral of St. Anthony is probably one of my favorite churches that I have visited thus far in all of Italy. The art was so amazing! The whole place gives glory to God so obviously! Mass and confession are constantly being offered. There is even a side chapel where a priest stands and offers a blessing for anyone who wonders in! It is a pilgrims haven. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkIufjvi8bP6YKlGFnPCIqErPUiUL2ZOp_nh-YIC0ScdPw-6aA0lGczsF6GY2toYjwP_u5VP7k1l80LLWAhMEsZEde_CeYrv2d7hczCI5m2y96jW7Ew2XVyyuV5NGP2I0t8FS7uOlqPeC/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkIufjvi8bP6YKlGFnPCIqErPUiUL2ZOp_nh-YIC0ScdPw-6aA0lGczsF6GY2toYjwP_u5VP7k1l80LLWAhMEsZEde_CeYrv2d7hczCI5m2y96jW7Ew2XVyyuV5NGP2I0t8FS7uOlqPeC/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+114.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many courtyards.</td></tr>
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I didn't want to leave when our visit was coming to an end. I could stay there forever and wander through the many courtyards, chapels, the cloisters, and the huge gift shop (which had the potential to be hazardous to my budget, but I persevered with my Dave Ramsey inspired budget). At the end of our visit I was so grateful to have had such an amazing experience!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rain came, but we still got to enjoy a few more sites of Padova: the Prato della Valle</td></tr>
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Padua side note: I had the best Bed & Breakfast experience. The owner was a lovely lady named Marina who spoke broken English, but loved us so well! If you are ever in Padua check out the Al Ponte B&B.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVibPjX5ZdWcEIlM2gpcyP5FfBCFKDI6YcM_yK7E8bl3lObbrCKznKHBLSIYyOBrwpQuWZah9O3OPkbidl92MLsINc-kKZsM5IcRojKj90eESUB1koeuRHDoCq7wOfP83S_JHd8s_zHPft/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVibPjX5ZdWcEIlM2gpcyP5FfBCFKDI6YcM_yK7E8bl3lObbrCKznKHBLSIYyOBrwpQuWZah9O3OPkbidl92MLsINc-kKZsM5IcRojKj90eESUB1koeuRHDoCq7wOfP83S_JHd8s_zHPft/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+101.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cute little B&B. Sorry, we didn't make our beds for the pic.</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Venezia</span></div>
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And last but not least, our weekend ended with a trip to Venice. According to Rick Steves, "getting lost in Venice is the best way to see Venice." And he was right. Most of Venice is not touristy at all, but just a collection of tiny, winding, pedestrian streets that all connect somehow and cross a canal every 20 meters or so. It is an amazing network of streets and shops. I am impressed that the residents don't get lost on their way to the grocery store!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdQ24IwPCA9t7cDqS2h6W66APfm3Zqo3Xk19_i-gX69KR5EC_TyixL3lSDlQinrTeRfkofEk6sUw28OiT-gBp7Xdc-8fnqhycXVuN8FE5DT-tgDrUOSsMCFUJw8VMM3DsMM6ec3skZK4T/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+118edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdQ24IwPCA9t7cDqS2h6W66APfm3Zqo3Xk19_i-gX69KR5EC_TyixL3lSDlQinrTeRfkofEk6sUw28OiT-gBp7Xdc-8fnqhycXVuN8FE5DT-tgDrUOSsMCFUJw8VMM3DsMM6ec3skZK4T/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+118edited.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
Walking around Venice was great, but unfortunately the weather wasn't to our liking. It rained for a good part of the day on Saturday, but that didn't stop our exploring. We visited St. Marc's Basilica, which is a huge tourist attraction. Unfortunately in the massive and beautiful church I felt like we were cattle being herded through the aisles. There was no place to sit and pray and just take in the beauty. The one high point to St. Marc's was hearing a little portion of a Mass in English. It was music to my ears hearing the priest begin his homily in my native tongue :) I will never take for granted a homily in English again!<br />
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It was really strange at first walking around Venice because I felt like I had already been there. Gondolas weren't that special and water in between buildings seemed normal. I think that this feeling of familiarity had something to do with my previous trips to the Venetian hotel and casino to visit sister Allison when she worked there. Allison, you would probably be more confused than me! Gotta love living in Las Vegas. It's an international city!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuhKKa4R6F_nS1xaIWOf3dspeajtH93N1R08BirphEYyJQz8HKSLGPer0Kpr3JH4yxXpM3UWPqX_L7anetQRC8kgW80_w5ea_agmOeJiNXY-l29eGvECuquxOCyjVvCE8Kc-Bqps6AKyS/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+119edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHuhKKa4R6F_nS1xaIWOf3dspeajtH93N1R08BirphEYyJQz8HKSLGPer0Kpr3JH4yxXpM3UWPqX_L7anetQRC8kgW80_w5ea_agmOeJiNXY-l29eGvECuquxOCyjVvCE8Kc-Bqps6AKyS/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+119edited.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lbg-WtP4HEaP3nXeTdsTOpK6pntSB0WLqeqJTEHYAlSitCVhrNDOqFqzkuJeHqK1IfowRImPYmJrSRf8N7PP520NweCjFa0rDtWF4ud0slj_s0gWdi0sjiiAFq3W8Z8_N5JmBsYg9WjK/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+121edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Lbg-WtP4HEaP3nXeTdsTOpK6pntSB0WLqeqJTEHYAlSitCVhrNDOqFqzkuJeHqK1IfowRImPYmJrSRf8N7PP520NweCjFa0rDtWF4ud0slj_s0gWdi0sjiiAFq3W8Z8_N5JmBsYg9WjK/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+121edited.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Vegas or Italy? I felt at home :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hheqEdlh8O5fLW1rx8W90HKUM1EmPm6oSznXT7r-GG41gegYf8N6epTIalxt9096hJSvN_v2meB-qsKmSgS1Q3wBSRpwmxboEJBJ8Flaz9igs8SHFLeaVjwrq7yMycNX8k9t7H5fNEdm/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+122edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hheqEdlh8O5fLW1rx8W90HKUM1EmPm6oSznXT7r-GG41gegYf8N6epTIalxt9096hJSvN_v2meB-qsKmSgS1Q3wBSRpwmxboEJBJ8Flaz9igs8SHFLeaVjwrq7yMycNX8k9t7H5fNEdm/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+122edited.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pomegranates growing in the trees lining the streets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTNvCg4mK5mf6_JFndqdmjCJq42hA_K8uS6GqeJQ0EJCtqU_Qk-6Rg9nFEUgguXKzGgt9BZb8_pHFFoRkIjHNl3Uh_bE1rJ0oIBUMeZEtmgR74f0T1j7SelDIy8RzXnbaH4RxBw2cHBvP/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTNvCg4mK5mf6_JFndqdmjCJq42hA_K8uS6GqeJQ0EJCtqU_Qk-6Rg9nFEUgguXKzGgt9BZb8_pHFFoRkIjHNl3Uh_bE1rJ0oIBUMeZEtmgR74f0T1j7SelDIy8RzXnbaH4RxBw2cHBvP/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+126.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh Market produce, in a canal nearest you!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi981kU7icXDM9uDzSop9BK4FQauql6tIf0Z7Q4pebgI_3EwSFqFuoKSfiXPM-SF-X4GOh7Kj7c2suHLaoJbGywNWHQm1N3ryv1F1WcIdRle4ZjZKhqJTTiWdZIrYpm2rtU2wMAEcqFYUoL/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+127edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi981kU7icXDM9uDzSop9BK4FQauql6tIf0Z7Q4pebgI_3EwSFqFuoKSfiXPM-SF-X4GOh7Kj7c2suHLaoJbGywNWHQm1N3ryv1F1WcIdRle4ZjZKhqJTTiWdZIrYpm2rtU2wMAEcqFYUoL/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+127edited.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masquerade! It's a big deal here.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fitdNaOQ2Ct-VDotwbECXYJ63axKzEocyssD2xJLkuSPcwiABr9IWDBnWyFsXM8L5r0uf8CKnIg8j7V5qTtQZHe-Ke1rxzuUJfCzUyFIVGwixv1xtcdSRyHM6KgAzm4JBoFz1gBVOs-h/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+129edited.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fitdNaOQ2Ct-VDotwbECXYJ63axKzEocyssD2xJLkuSPcwiABr9IWDBnWyFsXM8L5r0uf8CKnIg8j7V5qTtQZHe-Ke1rxzuUJfCzUyFIVGwixv1xtcdSRyHM6KgAzm4JBoFz1gBVOs-h/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+129edited.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
That night we had quite the public transportation adventure that resulted in a taxi ride and free Italian lesson. Even though taxis are expensive, I have come to find they are a great way to practice Italian with people that have to talk to you! Taking what life gives you and seeing the positive is the only way to live when you are traveling. Really, its the only way to live! <br />
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Our adventure continued that night due to our stay at Camping Rialto. We had no idea what to expect, we only knew we had reserved a "mini-chalet." The "mini-chalet" really was a little wooden shack, but it was comfortable and clean and the bugs didn't get us too bad. After a long day on our feet the girls and I enjoyed a drink in the common area of the campsite. It was a really young and fun atmosphere to be in. We met fellow travelers, such as a group of guys from Ireland, Whales and England who wished us a "Buona notte, Principessa." We were loving the accents. It was a great night "roughing it" with the girls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_sFuQ02E26ijYJiu-7uYp03EPvG_NLcIgdSmceIlEW-vQfjW2mC6S-TNMMx-CQGgQ43HMm0EpmYl-TIma9Ye_MRzeDB1ui4CQty_IE74fOiD00VatS0D-CNzAESFzlDJGO2kE3xmgV82/s1600/VeneziaPadovaVerona+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_sFuQ02E26ijYJiu-7uYp03EPvG_NLcIgdSmceIlEW-vQfjW2mC6S-TNMMx-CQGgQ43HMm0EpmYl-TIma9Ye_MRzeDB1ui4CQty_IE74fOiD00VatS0D-CNzAESFzlDJGO2kE3xmgV82/s320/VeneziaPadovaVerona+131.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture because it captures the bustle of people in Venice in one of the many squares. Also... I think this lady's sweater is awesome!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After a long weekend we headed back to Florence after discovering an amazing little <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">pasticcieria or bakery. Venice was a great place and I would love to go back again to keep discovering all that it has to offer! </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Praise God for another weekend of safe travels and lots of adventures! Next weekend: Assisi, Norcia, and Perugia. This week is jam packed with lots of good stuff, including two quizzes. Life continues on and the adventures keep on coming!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;">Send me and email if you get a chance! I would love to hear how you are doing!</span></span><br />
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God bless,<br />
Michela</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-14134764692692887502012-09-27T13:36:00.003-07:002012-09-27T13:38:16.981-07:00Quest for Beauty // Italian Hearts<i>jmj</i><br />
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From the very beginning, Jennifer (our hilarious and inspiring Scottish-born, Italian-raised academic director) has been reminding us that her goal for us this semester is to find and experience beauty all around us. The first time I heard this I took it as a nice thought, but it didn't sink in.<br />
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Last night Jennifer reminded us of this goal and of all the ways that we are able to experience beauty. She brought a young Italian woman who had lived in the U.S. to speak to us about her life abroad and her own life experiences. When she spoke of the U.S. and the people there she had such joy and love in her voice! I found myself wanting to appreciate Italian life and culture as much as she appreciated American life and culture! She experienced beauty in the U.S. and I wanted to experience beauty in Italy!<br />
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While I was on my way back to the villa today, coming back to the villa after a great afternoon with some family friends from home (Shout out to my mom who sent vitamins and my favorite sandals! Now I have happy feet and a healthy system. Thanks Mom!) I was able to witness this beauty in the people around me.<br />
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Before today I thought that Italians were cold and unfriendly. I hadn't had very many great experiences with the Italian people. I realize that in some respects that's still true, but in other ways they are more charitable than many Americans.Here are the events I witnessed that redeemed Italians and gave me a glimpse of God's love and beauty:<br />
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<b>Mr. Umbrella Man:</b> It started raining while I was waiting for the bus. Many people were prepared with umbrellas and others were making due with plastic bags, etc.. There were also a lot of street peddlers taking advantage of the poor weather to market their umbrellas. One man came running over to the street peddlers and bought an umbrella from him. As he was waiting for his bus there was an elderly woman who had a plastic bag covering her head. The man with the brand-new umbrella walked over to the woman and offered her protection from the rain with his umbrella. As they huddled under the one umbrella it was obvious that they didn't know each other before, but still, this man despite any discomfort and awkwardness offered this woman his umbrella. I was struck by this act of kindness. Never had I seen a stranger offer another stranger their umbrella. It really opened my eyes to the kindness that people are capable of. This was an experience of beauty to me.<br />
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<b>Punk Rock Teen and Street Peddler:</b> Shortly after Mr. Umbrella-Man, a punk rock teenager arrived at the bus stop, standing under his umbrella (it looked like he was borrowing his grandma's old one. It made me smile). He had piercings in his nose and one on his neck (I was trying to figure out how that worked) and couldn't have been more than 17. A street peddler near by was trying to adjust his poncho so that his backpack wouldn't get wet. With new umbrellas in his hands and one up trying to protect himself, he was struggling. The boy with the piercings saw the man struggling and offered him a hand, adjusting his poncho to fall over his backpack. I know this seems minuscule, but I was struck by the kindness towards this man that most people see as a nuisance. <br />
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<b>Woman on the bus: </b>Finally my bus arrived and I was so relieved to sit and get off my soggy feet. At one of the many stops through Florence we picked up a young woman and 3 children, it appeared that she was their nanny. All the seats were taken near them and she was supporting the little girl so that she wouldn't fall on the bumpy ride. A woman in her early 60s saw this young woman and the girl and motioned for the little girl to take her seat. She didn't seem inconvenienced or anything, but looked so happy to see this little girl more comfortable.<br />
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I have realized that Italians are kind, but in their own way. When I think "nice", I think warm, friendly, welcoming and inviting (a.k.a. Minnesota-nice). These things aren't terms I would use to describe the Italians I have met. But Italians <i>are </i>kind, charitable and have hearts that serve. I realize that being "nice" isn't everything. Being real and answering the call to serve when you see a need is what really matters.<br />
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Through the scenes of life that I experienced today I feel as though I have really experienced beauty and have come to a new appreciation of Italian charity and culture. For the rest of this week and the remaining semester I hope I can open my eyes to the people that show me beauty through their charity.<br />
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-MichelaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-28925351577873256162012-09-23T15:12:00.000-07:002012-09-27T12:31:31.113-07:00Strolling through Siena<i>jmj</i><br />
Trying to decide where to go each weekend is hard when you have so many amazing options! I knew I wanted to stay close to Florence, but I didn't know where to go... Naples, Milan,Venice...Hmmm... The options were endless! Thanks to my awesome roommate, Becca, and the tantalizing description of Rick Steves, myself and 5 other girls decided to go to Siena, the heart of Tuscany! We had planned to go to San Gimignano (try to pronounce that one and sound pretty, its hard to do!) and Siena, both in one weekend, but because of crazy confusing bus schedules we settled on Siena for Saturday and Sunday. Not a bad decision at all!<br />
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The bus ride to Siena was uneventful other than being full of other American University students. There is something so comforting about understanding others' conversations, even if you aren't apart of them. Otherwise I just think they are talking about me... Paranoid? Maybe, but its still a reasonable thought.<br />
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We got to Siena and strolled through its wonderful, pedestrian friendly streets all day long. The weather was perfect for a tour of town so we took advantage of it. We spend a lot of time at Il Campo, which is basically a huge town square. It was great for people watching. We played a new game called "Guess the Americans." Basically you just try to guess who is an American tourist. Sadly, it's pretty easy. There were also a few weddings that day and the wedding parties were celebrating in the square so we got to join in their joyous celebration. They know how to celebrate!<br />
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A lot of the day we employed church hopping between Santa Maria Provenza (where a statue of Mary is kept that has many conversions attributed to it), San Domenico (where the in-corrupt head of St. Catherine of Siena is kept. Pretty crazy stuff!), and the Basilica di San Francesco (more on this later). There were a few other smaller churches but those were the main ones.<br />
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We wanted to take advantage of the fact that we were in the heart of wine country, and go wine tasting! Unfortunately, our original plan of visiting a vineyard, didn't pan out, but we were able to taste 6 different flavors of olive oil (truffle was everyone's favorite), and visit a wine bar where we tasted different wines from the local area and Italy in general. They were so good! We are all excited for school trip to go wine tasting. Hopefully we will learn more about the art of wine tasting then!<br />
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One of Becca's friends told her to visit the Basilica di San Francesco, and to see the Eucharistic Miracle that is kept there. I was pretty excited to see it, but didn't know how we would be able to see it. Her friend told us we would have to ask the priest if we could see it and then <i>maybe </i>he would let us see it. So Sunday morning we got up early and headed off to the basilica for mass. We arrived at the church an hour early because yours truly messed up the mass times =] but we got extra time for prayer before mass so that's always good, right?<br />
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During mass I was getting nervous thinking about asking the priest to see the Eucharistic Miracle. What if he said no? What if he didn't understand what we were saying?... All this was cycling through my head as I was trying to concentrate on translating the mass into English. Needless to say, I wasn't doing a very good job.<br />
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Well, I had no need to worry, because, to my great surprise, at the end of mass Father set up adoration on the altar for the whole congregation to adore the Eu<a href="http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/mir/english_pdf/Siena.pdf" target="_blank">charistic Miracle</a>! It was incredible! I didn't know much about the miracle before, but afterwards I read more about it. It is truly incredible! If you check out the link above you can learn more! The short version is they are 230 consecrated hosts from 282 years ago! Crazy! I love being Catholic! It was a beautiful start to the day and end to the weekend.<br />
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Here are some (ok ok, a lot of) pictures from out time in Siena.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw8hhtAwYOrNBZ2j2PscpMGqKwwknLpvo6NhbD9vo4ivoT4XTBA5ohvFzBlKgyr4oKpD9lwP1N-0gj0xjPxNEw5nBvm9l3k50y5JcbcMjcO-N4F4xoCjvfEGh2qWULoGkf80OHxUg1i7Y/s1600/Sienapt+house.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmw8hhtAwYOrNBZ2j2PscpMGqKwwknLpvo6NhbD9vo4ivoT4XTBA5ohvFzBlKgyr4oKpD9lwP1N-0gj0xjPxNEw5nBvm9l3k50y5JcbcMjcO-N4F4xoCjvfEGh2qWULoGkf80OHxUg1i7Y/s320/Sienapt+house.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House in Siena where I would be Ok living someday. Rooftop garden: Check!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35j_ec7ic-11Dk6xkClYxZ45VAF0Qa4Jg8ylvxoprQW-vGFuuQPIXkBcDElEjujqFebzT4sC_bq-DY6FIrrw1fjkFmtKIItgdmpRn7vMcQKJSPYWxZvAMVGFy-15nFXc5Qfqq3XxhygsY/s1600/Sienapt.1+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh35j_ec7ic-11Dk6xkClYxZ45VAF0Qa4Jg8ylvxoprQW-vGFuuQPIXkBcDElEjujqFebzT4sC_bq-DY6FIrrw1fjkFmtKIItgdmpRn7vMcQKJSPYWxZvAMVGFy-15nFXc5Qfqq3XxhygsY/s320/Sienapt.1+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This isn't Siena, just a beautiful sunset in Florence on Friday evening that I wanted to share! Enjoy God's splendor!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdW88rCnpQOpm9mTOZvE_zgvYFnueqfq-IAomeAMfzrqFu44W6Ye7TtY1JnNgZjRmBYvC6PPVzCTzaFWY6oV0TPOZNGeTxVsWyqVjDofe2Y_FxLwguHm4jrbdKi85nXkbn8_-ApWOUAK1/s1600/Sienapt.1+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZdW88rCnpQOpm9mTOZvE_zgvYFnueqfq-IAomeAMfzrqFu44W6Ye7TtY1JnNgZjRmBYvC6PPVzCTzaFWY6oV0TPOZNGeTxVsWyqVjDofe2Y_FxLwguHm4jrbdKi85nXkbn8_-ApWOUAK1/s320/Sienapt.1+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The many levels and colors of Siena</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0hKTcbkN9DNNmMW0qJjk2hpmMwvogvVoBEhKdtQArrYCYk_3f1sVhSRn5dbpq7ezPXVVwbniFNVBzxBgNmMV0NEAXaoIftnbNiDsYZxyxCBtqHdfV-z5DRF4MLJWEvokTFcwHylnwwzM/s1600/Sienapt.1+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0hKTcbkN9DNNmMW0qJjk2hpmMwvogvVoBEhKdtQArrYCYk_3f1sVhSRn5dbpq7ezPXVVwbniFNVBzxBgNmMV0NEAXaoIftnbNiDsYZxyxCBtqHdfV-z5DRF4MLJWEvokTFcwHylnwwzM/s320/Sienapt.1+018.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stumbled upon and Classic Car Parade in Il Campo. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvGScTBk-P8hcL26lCIyFmBr83xmnVYjQsgr9nWFyBUSRTEjPqRjf3I9mki-FnwzRAsqgKFKz0iCCaqlFE7UbUhLQJyd9eMsjIzAhEOScaHCa_k0HZ9N_03SSojcRxDs6mJx11mD-U3Dk/s1600/Sienapt.1+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYvGScTBk-P8hcL26lCIyFmBr83xmnVYjQsgr9nWFyBUSRTEjPqRjf3I9mki-FnwzRAsqgKFKz0iCCaqlFE7UbUhLQJyd9eMsjIzAhEOScaHCa_k0HZ9N_03SSojcRxDs6mJx11mD-U3Dk/s320/Sienapt.1+020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXeAcw1MdFwkBZpAjDZIjGbAQvzHDIvQoGQ1peAx7pYEQrFsZLL8rKaDbVdLWIm_iqf2GypqhwY5GltuJtayA-9Fb3TDl9_RXgPPHoXIQZ0y4EVjbq1Mk8lRRVk2T4UdDxzEyxsam_pfL/s1600/Sienapt.1+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXeAcw1MdFwkBZpAjDZIjGbAQvzHDIvQoGQ1peAx7pYEQrFsZLL8rKaDbVdLWIm_iqf2GypqhwY5GltuJtayA-9Fb3TDl9_RXgPPHoXIQZ0y4EVjbq1Mk8lRRVk2T4UdDxzEyxsam_pfL/s320/Sienapt.1+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the 4 couples that we saw getting married on Saturday! Wedding bells were ringing everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcssGws7R45NtojY-LhEj8s3wcM7BgsndkPzpRFK_oNdlNaA4hrlv7ra6FkANtPGnj5C5AUA3m1k4dpTNOQBWBuOrxCv-gCF3PSeEWyNU7fM1x3B-ZukxIwd8vP37jRVuSjtlQvvggrFbb/s1600/Sienapt.1+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcssGws7R45NtojY-LhEj8s3wcM7BgsndkPzpRFK_oNdlNaA4hrlv7ra6FkANtPGnj5C5AUA3m1k4dpTNOQBWBuOrxCv-gCF3PSeEWyNU7fM1x3B-ZukxIwd8vP37jRVuSjtlQvvggrFbb/s320/Sienapt.1+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More classic Cars...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmejkSJl357BEUR-8mUANXXifgmC1EbHVsrwvY49kp7Ms6gEOLOpWk7AslwWHKRUWBYYS0OwaMMwDI47ZW_82W66YTXc_H2OLlvLNOouhCWUFuFYSZYQJVhAsINjXf72rtMfPj-3J5lLoJ/s1600/Sienapt.1+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmejkSJl357BEUR-8mUANXXifgmC1EbHVsrwvY49kp7Ms6gEOLOpWk7AslwWHKRUWBYYS0OwaMMwDI47ZW_82W66YTXc_H2OLlvLNOouhCWUFuFYSZYQJVhAsINjXf72rtMfPj-3J5lLoJ/s320/Sienapt.1+028.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the girls (minus Becca) next to the well that was here when St. Catherine lived here. The newer parts of St. Catherine's house were built around it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard outside of St. Catherine's Sanctuary.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBX5G6GoymYyXRW2ofVB7ZIL_KN5MbcbAqXmpwxgIh588bx6bIX6JpJ3vWaQP8icVeRnycyAOkd5zV4NEiw8lXNrOLXNxAz8apI7IaW143iQB1Mocmd-b8AEhsU7aao02cVNBsUTXiWVQ/s1600/Sienapt.1+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBX5G6GoymYyXRW2ofVB7ZIL_KN5MbcbAqXmpwxgIh588bx6bIX6JpJ3vWaQP8icVeRnycyAOkd5zV4NEiw8lXNrOLXNxAz8apI7IaW143iQB1Mocmd-b8AEhsU7aao02cVNBsUTXiWVQ/s320/Sienapt.1+032.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Catherine's room and a statue of her.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL0kegA2EtEa96XACAeTC8bzTyZDidi6H9OvsnuKLbFYu0PpN1owq-gJWYMnRNiAR5JnnyQKA1-Mseaw9g_3tKdnLeEiv7ZQa1CVUDiroC2pK3W5ZGdMHuIjcw7QhnP6NDulpZRqkBVn2/s1600/Sienapt.1+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDL0kegA2EtEa96XACAeTC8bzTyZDidi6H9OvsnuKLbFYu0PpN1owq-gJWYMnRNiAR5JnnyQKA1-Mseaw9g_3tKdnLeEiv7ZQa1CVUDiroC2pK3W5ZGdMHuIjcw7QhnP6NDulpZRqkBVn2/s320/Sienapt.1+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing views of Siena everywhere!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfeOX5v1pi81KrvHZpeF69SAEeME3Ws_5Qmx4kI290LQ_3Mo9Q3bLb8Dl8ia2TU0e_uRfsKesMLf-3lFrw8YfRkKn-5t69XTBsH2nvzKzAKnlxj7-moIq_1WWgftaw_YAkxCbjRFsWJL9/s1600/Sienapt.1+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfeOX5v1pi81KrvHZpeF69SAEeME3Ws_5Qmx4kI290LQ_3Mo9Q3bLb8Dl8ia2TU0e_uRfsKesMLf-3lFrw8YfRkKn-5t69XTBsH2nvzKzAKnlxj7-moIq_1WWgftaw_YAkxCbjRFsWJL9/s320/Sienapt.1+045.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Duomo!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfSHScyonUMhCwhbqrOsrxZyf_wh-En2BRifTGqgluqeubXtt5Mo7uPo38LZW4L0JRACtNbbM6Von0QrIksy5AhbeSoGr3i4oesqyDesqnP2o8BMB9lAY5mQNoZOAzLZahfwG2jdVxR29/s1600/Sienapt.1+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfSHScyonUMhCwhbqrOsrxZyf_wh-En2BRifTGqgluqeubXtt5Mo7uPo38LZW4L0JRACtNbbM6Von0QrIksy5AhbeSoGr3i4oesqyDesqnP2o8BMB9lAY5mQNoZOAzLZahfwG2jdVxR29/s320/Sienapt.1+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kendra and I enjoying Apertivo (happy hour)! Lovin' Siena night life =]</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCX7hZTC3Yq3lJGo654RlfWG9v-TQaL-UcxJ2FM2_YqmUhKb6YAWHIihyphenhyphenB8rJy86t_HgKQGRAciDrSIYL0YQ0gkQ6tEl0npbT_R8QMuJVvRRjbGYS4waqbIelYSyYPV4Mq2PD3wc6OijOw/s1600/Sienapt.1+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCX7hZTC3Yq3lJGo654RlfWG9v-TQaL-UcxJ2FM2_YqmUhKb6YAWHIihyphenhyphenB8rJy86t_HgKQGRAciDrSIYL0YQ0gkQ6tEl0npbT_R8QMuJVvRRjbGYS4waqbIelYSyYPV4Mq2PD3wc6OijOw/s320/Sienapt.1+063.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night out on the town!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92bqrXtBtDjwPjC1g0_Xk66hBgV2EhRjvLy5b94Sr9SkccakqJb3z5T22SKJl1nNNDfY3-GxbMgex8fnPSz6_N8zS82rZw0VlK9aESbtP5_4ouV9e51ASCLSbh-X4_T5J5CKSKy-SVUV4/s1600/Sienaptbells.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92bqrXtBtDjwPjC1g0_Xk66hBgV2EhRjvLy5b94Sr9SkccakqJb3z5T22SKJl1nNNDfY3-GxbMgex8fnPSz6_N8zS82rZw0VlK9aESbtP5_4ouV9e51ASCLSbh-X4_T5J5CKSKy-SVUV4/s320/Sienaptbells.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Take 2!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMNVaXClX0W88MR-6kTh72jUDjdVbYOwRF8de5v3NVNOtAgyb7jjEh4bavAOpoUQp-jSTxMKtGJ_Hmi_CBQL5BSvHxMT06B5Ofg2umpFKLl0Nb2nMAh-u9FtnO4b0KODbtQ9UHzGHmj3u/s1600/Sienapteucharisticmiracle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMNVaXClX0W88MR-6kTh72jUDjdVbYOwRF8de5v3NVNOtAgyb7jjEh4bavAOpoUQp-jSTxMKtGJ_Hmi_CBQL5BSvHxMT06B5Ofg2umpFKLl0Nb2nMAh-u9FtnO4b0KODbtQ9UHzGHmj3u/s320/Sienapteucharisticmiracle.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adoration with Eucharistic Miracle! The True Presence!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An adorable mom and daughter enjoying lunch on Il campo this Sunday afternoon.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BTMdPPiFt2PdQfpQ2OwRyqwVAodCn_zfsEbB4_y_6ISYBoIj2uMZgOw-8NzVKycmtnJqgSv7GQi7a3HK8xJleO5-d2CJjzSCFvKEzS8RMzRbmDRpR-S__IsHXEINgHZZDY4D0A4zoDE9/s1600/Sienaptnight.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BTMdPPiFt2PdQfpQ2OwRyqwVAodCn_zfsEbB4_y_6ISYBoIj2uMZgOw-8NzVKycmtnJqgSv7GQi7a3HK8xJleO5-d2CJjzSCFvKEzS8RMzRbmDRpR-S__IsHXEINgHZZDY4D0A4zoDE9/s320/Sienaptnight.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Night view of San Domenica. The city at night takes on a new character.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAHWDJnxUHFTjVObnK8Dopav93rRWwZasdDMHMM0Nfii8gq8MWX05CeScqg6Ln1NJ6Tofs0NTkedEIwApXBggsdwb-L2wHJ5jB8Q7sO1QVQp1-x6n10TpRRLwjBlgB42se-jcBn-ak_sj/s1600/Sienaptnightshot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAHWDJnxUHFTjVObnK8Dopav93rRWwZasdDMHMM0Nfii8gq8MWX05CeScqg6Ln1NJ6Tofs0NTkedEIwApXBggsdwb-L2wHJ5jB8Q7sO1QVQp1-x6n10TpRRLwjBlgB42se-jcBn-ak_sj/s320/Sienaptnightshot.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the views of Siena all lit up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi05RnWUS_seESFRzT_m2qS1BViiHbDfxK2MAqRf_fMK6kLU76KEdwO1ViL7tePSLhvN8kJxzSPoMMZTqtx-wBhJmGvYE0HuB5BR2t-xWOZXk6CgvzM_2pLtdTk5y-M0BwqCxYtP09Gqd/s1600/Sienaptsmiles.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi05RnWUS_seESFRzT_m2qS1BViiHbDfxK2MAqRf_fMK6kLU76KEdwO1ViL7tePSLhvN8kJxzSPoMMZTqtx-wBhJmGvYE0HuB5BR2t-xWOZXk6CgvzM_2pLtdTk5y-M0BwqCxYtP09Gqd/s320/Sienaptsmiles.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cute hotel located right next to St. Catherine's house. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW3Ne_fjE7nW4zqz9rT7v6o3YxZV7LC6fBR_M9BLDP2uK8BZ_YHCDpKAA_KvmnUG3tSIwG9CFSefiToqwGBCze0QWvSDhdzn9PhVLbbnARuCe2K-rXXJ7TXPKxQj6ucArZapzci3arvzt/s1600/sienapt1chiesa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW3Ne_fjE7nW4zqz9rT7v6o3YxZV7LC6fBR_M9BLDP2uK8BZ_YHCDpKAA_KvmnUG3tSIwG9CFSefiToqwGBCze0QWvSDhdzn9PhVLbbnARuCe2K-rXXJ7TXPKxQj6ucArZapzci3arvzt/s320/sienapt1chiesa.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The outside of the Basilica di San Francesco, where the Eucharistic Miracle is kept.</td></tr>
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I hope you enjoyed that collection of pictures, in no particular order.... There are so many sites to share! I wish you all could be here to see them with me!<br />
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Overall, I have such a love for St. Catherine and all she did for the Church. I really want to learn more about her now. Also, I love the colorfulness of Siena and the lively atmosphere. It was a young city that was enjoying life and the traditions that have been passed on for generations and generations.<br />
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Another weekend is gone, and only 8 more to go! Crazy how time flies when you are having fun!<br />
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God's love and blessings for you and your families!<br />
MichelaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-72426469194333801672012-09-20T05:28:00.002-07:002012-09-27T12:33:45.665-07:00La Dolce Vita // Living the sweet life.<i>jmj</i><br />
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"The sweet life," as Italians call it, is quite an adjustment for this American girl. Please bare with my while I state the obvious: Life in Italy is so different from life in the States! Ok, thanks...<br />
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This semester has already taught me to appreciate different customs and cultures. I still have so much more appreciating to do.<br />
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I am loving learning Italian. Yesterday in class we reviewed everything we had learned in 10 days and it is quite impressive. I can introduce myself, ask where you are from, and order a coffee or beer in a restaurant! Haha ok maybe not that impressive, but still exciting. I have 2 whole months to improve.<br />
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Practicing Italian in real life is nerve-racking. Pronouncing the words correctly is where the big struggle is.It is always humbling when you think you are asking for a hamburger and a fry and they give you three hamburgers and no fries. Not fun. But I just need to get over my embarrassment and pride and dive into the language. Whether or not my verb tenses are right, I will improve just by practicing!<br />
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Life in Italy happens at a different pace than life at home. At home (or school) when I have free time I always have something I need to be doing. "Be productive!" is my mentality. Here it doesn't seem to fit. When I have free time all I want to do is sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. I don't want to be doing anything. <b>Something in the atmosphere evokes the desire to just "be."</b> Be in the fresh air, be with people, be yourself. I think this is a good lesson for me to learn.<br />
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I have decided that I want to spend a lot of my travel time this semester in Italy. You will notice this as you see pictures being po<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">sted from my weekend trips. The main reason for this is because I realized in Rome that I have this amazing oppo</span>rtunity to really dive into a culture and a way of life that is unfamiliar to me. If I was to be traveling to different countries every weekend I would not fully be able to appreciate Italian culture.<br />
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As my dad so wonderfully put it,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b> "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;">If you travel to all of the cities and countries you are talking about you will be a tourist and will not have the kin</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><b>d of penetrating experience that will stay with you long after you leave."</b> I know this is not true for everyone who travels abroad, but I have felt it on my heart that this is the kind of experience that I will learn the most from. Thanks Dad for putting into words what I was feeling!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I am excited to dive into "la dolce vita" and all that it has to offer. What I really want to do is to spend time with Italians and try speaking with them. Pray I can meet some nice Italians that have patience for choppy Italian =]</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">As always, God bless and continue loving and living boldly! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Michela</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22leLzR8sJYTJO9zDIrLgJ4kCuZoPzGAV6JXF6ojTMFa0l0CnKPlMbOTJWz8Mja5nk56W35ZSiRsVsP2zl4LD9CzDZ7HHPeKFQvw47lvOriXMA1yMhga5Ht7Oi1DUuKgoNOd0F_z9-ml8/s1600/Florence-ladolcevita+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj22leLzR8sJYTJO9zDIrLgJ4kCuZoPzGAV6JXF6ojTMFa0l0CnKPlMbOTJWz8Mja5nk56W35ZSiRsVsP2zl4LD9CzDZ7HHPeKFQvw47lvOriXMA1yMhga5Ht7Oi1DUuKgoNOd0F_z9-ml8/s400/Florence-ladolcevita+001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So apparently they collect license plates from the US too... This one made me feel at home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydUXxTa9chnIMhUcDfWP53d2EomQ6AZN1bagIbO-Cd0jLO-fWvodcFlH7FaWH0ofW4b3SY9H7p6G3iUTch49F-6h020OmKaf_56hr5H1jKXx-R3PqAx93hgZ_jsu3LDTfbjh0lni7ssc6/s1600/Florence-ladolcevita+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydUXxTa9chnIMhUcDfWP53d2EomQ6AZN1bagIbO-Cd0jLO-fWvodcFlH7FaWH0ofW4b3SY9H7p6G3iUTch49F-6h020OmKaf_56hr5H1jKXx-R3PqAx93hgZ_jsu3LDTfbjh0lni7ssc6/s400/Florence-ladolcevita+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Piazzele Michelangelo. It took my breath away! Partly because the intense walk up the hill, but still it was amazing! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxqjIcJdANsK0v8rL2CgofQ_ITTk6gzDZRH-MlFh0dn9Qm4RW3vzBoi3xXHSt2F06pplOtq9lz-L5jIfIcD88cthoMBGf-J_p_o7dNK4HWNtVPB_GFQC_u5Sbpky5mQn8UcklT7mQLze2/s1600/Florence-ladolcevita+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicxqjIcJdANsK0v8rL2CgofQ_ITTk6gzDZRH-MlFh0dn9Qm4RW3vzBoi3xXHSt2F06pplOtq9lz-L5jIfIcD88cthoMBGf-J_p_o7dNK4HWNtVPB_GFQC_u5Sbpky5mQn8UcklT7mQLze2/s400/Florence-ladolcevita+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's amazing that chalk and black pavement can be used to produce such vibrant colors! Didn't see the finished product, but already the street is looking better!</td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">p.s. La dolce vita could come from the fact that they eat chocolate and sweets here like it's their job. This custom is not so hard to adapt to. =]</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-11931522728818565062012-09-16T05:44:00.005-07:002012-09-27T12:36:39.524-07:00Cinque Terre: 5 lands of adventures!<i>jmj</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-BgbI3qUKOJ-9QDGjznieHK6jJrRMHb02GZbp85n5T08lFaIt2NWWuDhFaPiNhB61jdr4lHFjPyRidBBpQ91xxFGEqTwijxgmyBm9EmxUwNvKt6VRfzVPfCkn7ZzJAOVNOcVJkX97SEM/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-BgbI3qUKOJ-9QDGjznieHK6jJrRMHb02GZbp85n5T08lFaIt2NWWuDhFaPiNhB61jdr4lHFjPyRidBBpQ91xxFGEqTwijxgmyBm9EmxUwNvKt6VRfzVPfCkn7ZzJAOVNOcVJkX97SEM/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+0222.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ciao! from Cinque Terra! Adventures from Cinque Terre start here!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<i>Ciao Bella! </i>Haha, no I haven't had anyone (any man) say that to me yet, but I do find it fun to say to my friends. They aren't creeped out by it... I don't think...I'll get back to you on that one.<br />
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From Friday to Saturday pretty much our whole class took a trip to Cinque Terre, Italy. It is a string of 5 small cities along the coast of Italy that are all connected by a hiking/walking path. We did the 11 km hike in about 6 hours. It was pretty intense! Reminded me of my hike down to the Grand Canyon with my Dad and sisters earlier this summer.<br />
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The hiking paths go along the ocean and the rest is up in the mountains, but whichever path you are on it always opens up to some of the most amazing views!<br />
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At the end of the hike we treated ourselves to the most amazing seafood I have had, maybe ever! It was great! The next day I resolved to do nothing other than relax on the beach. And that I did.<br />
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All the towns in Cinque Terre are so bright and colorful. They are itty bitty compared to the other cities we have been in. Each on had a church right in the middle, with a bell that rang every hour to remind its residents of it's presence. Oh how I loved this place.<br />
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(Side note: You have probably seen pictures on pinterest. It's all over the place!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0IQAvEIwYe8GUXRkVqbF_qfRPpin4ll6DLbylBx_NEFplpTm59aEoqDMfUpOt6tx38HxomIUsHZKDCtAE0PzrJVEvoKcJx4w7EC424WTPu162lox9vo7E6CW2UAuaO1wzcHFvePINMbt/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0IQAvEIwYe8GUXRkVqbF_qfRPpin4ll6DLbylBx_NEFplpTm59aEoqDMfUpOt6tx38HxomIUsHZKDCtAE0PzrJVEvoKcJx4w7EC424WTPu162lox9vo7E6CW2UAuaO1wzcHFvePINMbt/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our very first view from the train. It was breath taking! All you could hear from our car was a chorus of oooo's and aaaah's! Truly God's work of art.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first part of the hike was Via Dell'Amore (The Way of Love). I didn't realize how funny this sign was until now. I hope you get a laugh at the naked baby chilling in the pasta. If that's not love I don't know what is!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All over the trail couples put locks on walls and chain-linked fences to symbolize their love never being brokesn. Cheesy? Yeah. But cute? I think so!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQy8SeuodpDnThVCs7Hc-oqCFc0860EhBlg9OWkok-2Mu6lPH4udkFte43g7ZyKqU05yUDKH_t_IKu8qlo7kqwnSL9o7MJ6wUoojpi86VY7L8dPeyMTvDoWV7ZK3ytgd2dhLM72WQq5Ib/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQy8SeuodpDnThVCs7Hc-oqCFc0860EhBlg9OWkok-2Mu6lPH4udkFte43g7ZyKqU05yUDKH_t_IKu8qlo7kqwnSL9o7MJ6wUoojpi86VY7L8dPeyMTvDoWV7ZK3ytgd2dhLM72WQq5Ib/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all those "Locks of Love" =] (Pun intended.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK4IGIlx-simFK4mYxJyFVEqawvR-rBHrOIIFkG_-jBGXnCMKryt38QS9RwXvf-WOAMpnkpHSbYF0F14EcFty-gmkJ4og12sWMwbj6OiXIZkAoDlmnhQaBegKdUXQ7a-FgSMgJ52n0dfh/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHK4IGIlx-simFK4mYxJyFVEqawvR-rBHrOIIFkG_-jBGXnCMKryt38QS9RwXvf-WOAMpnkpHSbYF0F14EcFty-gmkJ4og12sWMwbj6OiXIZkAoDlmnhQaBegKdUXQ7a-FgSMgJ52n0dfh/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+022.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Becca and I. We had to document the crazy hike we were embarking on.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAW7u34hUnNKHR47ZhTVWJH8E1lfTosVjAN_8Ww2rttUD_L_zJ3I5iY9n8UaXI3M_AsJcMp-2PwvIua3g3GVcTx0JEQNH0WLhzlzDGiehO3sIWDRtY_OcZ6dIifKh0y7icked3CFAIs4Rd/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAW7u34hUnNKHR47ZhTVWJH8E1lfTosVjAN_8Ww2rttUD_L_zJ3I5iY9n8UaXI3M_AsJcMp-2PwvIua3g3GVcTx0JEQNH0WLhzlzDGiehO3sIWDRtY_OcZ6dIifKh0y7icked3CFAIs4Rd/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+029.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't know what this sign means other than "You are on the right path." It was a life saver, and kept me from walking many unnecessary miles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theresa, Jenna and I taking a break with a great view! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xKDadsRSnGeX7boCCwLt2NAqpaiwGJ3yvo25yZYmk_gcZCTPDanYGhTVyPgk3MSV4W6G_FU2gd58WYtmlNl9xwFPqVX4RG4BJ83hLSRygjRSICShMjWijGyAG9_rLaxyqbsjyO4N_xV_/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xKDadsRSnGeX7boCCwLt2NAqpaiwGJ3yvo25yZYmk_gcZCTPDanYGhTVyPgk3MSV4W6G_FU2gd58WYtmlNl9xwFPqVX4RG4BJ83hLSRygjRSICShMjWijGyAG9_rLaxyqbsjyO4N_xV_/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+026.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grape vines everywhere! They didn't taste as good as I had hoped, but I'm sure they will make great wine! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNEmJyBFmUF5edaHTQ4BnQFcN6N4hsgyzoNLdEXarpt1d2fCgzPxWfUk5s-RPSrduIjSfaA5Bq2KThRmZnJXsZj22CoIA3PLtJgl5lptETa3Emh0XcT9WHB7Aht31L-wf8roOo41Cgink/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNEmJyBFmUF5edaHTQ4BnQFcN6N4hsgyzoNLdEXarpt1d2fCgzPxWfUk5s-RPSrduIjSfaA5Bq2KThRmZnJXsZj22CoIA3PLtJgl5lptETa3Emh0XcT9WHB7Aht31L-wf8roOo41Cgink/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+031.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angela, Emily and I on the beach. It was a perfect beach day! The beach was also my time experiencing "European style sun bathing." Quite interesting. I felt like men and women were confused. The men were wearing bikini bottoms (aka speedos) and some women weren't wearing tops. Gender role reversal? Interesting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dV3hD0VGwdV_GYy7Be-_HUjYhHP0sTK-HeAs2wnLK_KIOZzC7Oox-_OoztLi0ac7jOXkCySK5EtfBkmHYGn3VvlBAvXvHfEzd_tehD95zOjDmDZ00qiWSUG4aFNM5QmGQ5_NR4XzIDcb/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0dV3hD0VGwdV_GYy7Be-_HUjYhHP0sTK-HeAs2wnLK_KIOZzC7Oox-_OoztLi0ac7jOXkCySK5EtfBkmHYGn3VvlBAvXvHfEzd_tehD95zOjDmDZ00qiWSUG4aFNM5QmGQ5_NR4XzIDcb/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dock at Vernazza. I wish I could just jump in one of those boats and take off! Such a picturesque little town. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzMFyTZb6Xsbpy_xLykev0bx9AZjqkkpPi2exOGi1z65ElIulXtX4ohXlKl26PveNXLzm8dZaIuGTgS9bxMQPNIo00WagL9kvNT97rqpK73HJfQIHL-Lsik_she7D9o3eQLCxWXMiKbGx/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzMFyTZb6Xsbpy_xLykev0bx9AZjqkkpPi2exOGi1z65ElIulXtX4ohXlKl26PveNXLzm8dZaIuGTgS9bxMQPNIo00WagL9kvNT97rqpK73HJfQIHL-Lsik_she7D9o3eQLCxWXMiKbGx/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+039.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda, Kendra and I adventuring through Vernazza. Little did we know what was to come! Later we spent the night finding our way back to the Villa after missing the last bus and getting on the wrong one. Oops! That's what traveling is all about though, living and learning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYdfVju_WidXpFzecz7iSvIRnlZhAwL5a-jmW0NcNuYcLvx4EZ_xKMWY9fjcMbo_RhmKCXJYFWJe7h_LIBJI89lCUXzK0f9A_HJANQTs_gyysPTtmo4sT3J-NN868Yez6KquYvbA-3rpV/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYdfVju_WidXpFzecz7iSvIRnlZhAwL5a-jmW0NcNuYcLvx4EZ_xKMWY9fjcMbo_RhmKCXJYFWJe7h_LIBJI89lCUXzK0f9A_HJANQTs_gyysPTtmo4sT3J-NN868Yez6KquYvbA-3rpV/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No this cat is not dead, but it just goes to show how many stray cats there are all over Italy! This one is chilling on a restaurant patio.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Zn1Yr2GuDbls7sANqwGlp4iw3KMiRhm2T2FFW6fqJrfxwUvxLU7iGlBtXtz6petR7AtkLC48NwyXnKHPBsJtkWV3CbSSb-sKM870POhmpexMI3riLHy4I5MqVw0gDYQNhNrm9G5U2E83/s1600/Florence-cinqueterre+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Zn1Yr2GuDbls7sANqwGlp4iw3KMiRhm2T2FFW6fqJrfxwUvxLU7iGlBtXtz6petR7AtkLC48NwyXnKHPBsJtkWV3CbSSb-sKM870POhmpexMI3riLHy4I5MqVw0gDYQNhNrm9G5U2E83/s400/Florence-cinqueterre+033.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having an amazing time in Vernazza! Hopefully I'll be back to Cinque Terre someday. Anyone want to join me?</td></tr>
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We also met a few really nice people while we were there. One really sweet couple took a picture for us. She was from Australia and he from Great Britain. They chatted with us for a bit and told us they were moving from Hungary to London. The other was a nice taxi driver named Andrea, that took us 3 lost girls back to the Villa after an intense evening of traveling. He taught us a little Italian and enjoyed our attempt to speak back to him.<br />
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It has been quite a cultural experience so far. I am enjoying every part of this adventure. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers! I really need them! You all are in mine! </div>
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God bless!</div>
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Michela</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-75312871416861561672012-09-15T23:40:00.000-07:002012-09-27T12:39:12.120-07:00Florence: A Breath of Fresh Air<i>jmj</i><br />
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Ciao!<br />
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At last I have arrived in Florence. Well, actually I arrived on Monday... And I have been loving it ever since. Arriving in Florence from Rome was like a breath of fresh air. Don't get me wrong, the Eternal City is unmatched in many respects! Florence is just more to my taste.<br />
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The village where we are living and studying is in the hills surrounding Florence. It is a quaint little town, pretty quiet most of the time, with a little church right in the middle. We are surrounded by green, rolling hills which are great for hiking, but they definitely make running more work (as I found out yesterday).</div>
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The Villa is so nice too! Here are some pictures and the view from my window...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlsgFtbMWN2I3gR0Am1NBU_hiBWf9AOwZhpMc1tsifZ9FsY8NjxI8b4aIFL5W1m5UTBoDj855PR5fvux8XPRvmhPfwMGlxhZbisV6RLThOv9XDa9LO3Wo3Vk5pE0rOyiM9bEbfKMVywf/s1600/Florence+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRlsgFtbMWN2I3gR0Am1NBU_hiBWf9AOwZhpMc1tsifZ9FsY8NjxI8b4aIFL5W1m5UTBoDj855PR5fvux8XPRvmhPfwMGlxhZbisV6RLThOv9XDa9LO3Wo3Vk5pE0rOyiM9bEbfKMVywf/s400/Florence+001.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My window that opens out to the Tuscan hills. Every morning a rooster cock-a-doodle-doo's at 5 a.m.. through this window. Gotta love it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of my adorable roommates sitting on our little stoop. It is going to be a great semester with them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvz56dF7NWgLusBDjsCv69lyO0Kj90BbTf-dvj88cNnVwXWTlbYfPNdY0a85CiiAIGHlH7-00Hr3BwvZTMpLqLeG0-mbL1qXTiZkEeH6ZmMkHcjFyX5YMREBEpCKD9USvZVcGSADz0M6B/s1600/Florence+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvz56dF7NWgLusBDjsCv69lyO0Kj90BbTf-dvj88cNnVwXWTlbYfPNdY0a85CiiAIGHlH7-00Hr3BwvZTMpLqLeG0-mbL1qXTiZkEeH6ZmMkHcjFyX5YMREBEpCKD9USvZVcGSADz0M6B/s400/Florence+007.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from my roomies' room. So beautiful. Looks right into the city and onto the Duomo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetUHtWdE1BpfZFkb3eSWlJz0gt1RIvoEeP_5X9mD_NK0iSQOVUYZ9QKvzOz2RRvL7-qL9J5kmd7LUL6uKQd-eDznKXcaljn98gKUQmWZg8pirA92v-LfdlxrFL3oQFd4UpDAUZt-lzaj4/s1600/Florence+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetUHtWdE1BpfZFkb3eSWlJz0gt1RIvoEeP_5X9mD_NK0iSQOVUYZ9QKvzOz2RRvL7-qL9J5kmd7LUL6uKQd-eDznKXcaljn98gKUQmWZg8pirA92v-LfdlxrFL3oQFd4UpDAUZt-lzaj4/s400/Florence+009.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another picture from my window. Wish I could look out onto this in Atchison.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CHn9rJ2kp4D0XnWqSpDDIgkpOHe-JX818OVgyaplmE6iWQmUDLHacxI0e1kq_LRpRw7WYDn3ZQDAYgHtANR7GK7bftGeuNvb8Kwbaam0V1PhF-LVA4y2BArAY6KUtSCFYB7ZqmeXMAD4/s1600/Florence+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0CHn9rJ2kp4D0XnWqSpDDIgkpOHe-JX818OVgyaplmE6iWQmUDLHacxI0e1kq_LRpRw7WYDn3ZQDAYgHtANR7GK7bftGeuNvb8Kwbaam0V1PhF-LVA4y2BArAY6KUtSCFYB7ZqmeXMAD4/s400/Florence+003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my room! Roomie Theresa and I are enjoying our quaint little abode in the Tuscan country hills.</td></tr>
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(insert pic of dining hall at later date)<br />
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(insert pic of patio soon)<br />
<br />
(insert pic of chapel when I get a pic)<br />
<br />
Our first jaunt into the city of Florence (population 400,000) was to Santa Maria de Fiore, or as it is most commonly known, the Duomo. We hiked (literally hiked) up 200-plus stairs and hallways no more than 2 feet wide at widest point, to see the city of Florence from above. It was amazing! Here are a few pics from my phone (of course I forgot my camera that day!). Not the best quality but you get the picture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPp41EbvYGAXYLzAtHPQNDJkqhCbpB0SU0jxD7PRycUtKLHP2tz9wDxQ0yz5tqYLfV_8XJV4oPA1sb_fPl6gOboB_sv4PwyU9M99caq3CMzPzg5RDID1VVC0tOGC-QzRXuVPLGkhZ3vry/s1600/2012-09-11_16-30-01_667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPp41EbvYGAXYLzAtHPQNDJkqhCbpB0SU0jxD7PRycUtKLHP2tz9wDxQ0yz5tqYLfV_8XJV4oPA1sb_fPl6gOboB_sv4PwyU9M99caq3CMzPzg5RDID1VVC0tOGC-QzRXuVPLGkhZ3vry/s400/2012-09-11_16-30-01_667.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view of Florence from the Duomo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_79JwHyVYurQ07GrL9yT0ZkHdwUbEAyhQJRpH8o5-HVjg8trSjKxTVoTyPfk_UzGcMgTn4gCpGF3fHc8_2co-Igo4FjraVqizRhQvyLLg93pn3JVoLyirMqk5F9j-2_c8vpLn7QHrzLZP/s1600/2012-09-11_16-36-12_854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_79JwHyVYurQ07GrL9yT0ZkHdwUbEAyhQJRpH8o5-HVjg8trSjKxTVoTyPfk_UzGcMgTn4gCpGF3fHc8_2co-Igo4FjraVqizRhQvyLLg93pn3JVoLyirMqk5F9j-2_c8vpLn7QHrzLZP/s400/2012-09-11_16-36-12_854.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disclaimer: It was <i>super windy</i> and super bright up there! Hence the crazy hair and squinty eyes. Don't judge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjouyB4C_n349OUcn-rF1UqAghtou1ZPhnrx-tVS15-_SrV13va76AriEA34JSdAHjuUji_dh14m5sRAwL1GRvEkR7jJTdfkudy7h6JSAEw_H71YskZvEtfIrny766Q1zS5fp7bz54CRa2/s1600/2012-09-11_17-30-50_446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjouyB4C_n349OUcn-rF1UqAghtou1ZPhnrx-tVS15-_SrV13va76AriEA34JSdAHjuUji_dh14m5sRAwL1GRvEkR7jJTdfkudy7h6JSAEw_H71YskZvEtfIrny766Q1zS5fp7bz54CRa2/s400/2012-09-11_17-30-50_446.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of Santa Maria de Fiore. If you want to know why it's called St. Mary of the Flower please ask! It's an amazing analogy!</td></tr>
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We had a pizza/Welcome to Florence party after our trip into Florence. It was complete with live Italian music, good company, tiramisu, and good wine.<br />
<br />
Oh! And yes, we have started classes, in case you are wondering. Life isn't all fun and games over here. We have 3 hours of Italian class every morning (Monday-Thursday) and then 2 1/2 hours of Theology class in the afternoon and then a few times this semester we will have 2 whole days of Italian heart and culture. I promise it really is <i>Study </i>abroad, not just holiday abroad =]<br />
<br />
God bless!<br />
<br />
Michela<br />
<br />
P.s. Here is an excerpt about pilgrimage from our reading in my Theology of Pope Benedict XVI class. I thought it was applicable considering the sort of pilgrimage I'm currently on, and we are all on here on earth...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
"The more we turn our eyes and our hearts to the earthly Jerusalem, </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the more will our yearning be kindled for the heavenly Jerusalem, the true goal of every pilgrimage,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
along with our eager desire that the name of Jesus, the one name which brings salvation, may be acknowledged by all (cf. Acts 4:12)."</div>
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<br />
P.s.s. Pics of our trip to Cinque Terre to come soon!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-2956919230895650072012-09-10T14:41:00.000-07:002012-09-10T14:41:52.548-07:00Reflections on Rome<br />
<i>jmj</i><br />
<br />
Today was our last day in Rome. I have been here for 10 days now and it has felt like forever! I am really excited to go to Florence tomorrow and finally meet the place I will call "home" for the next 3 months. But before I go to Florence, here are few of my final reflections from Rome...<br />
<br />
At first I was completely overwhelmed by Rome because of its size, amount of history, chaotic atmosphere, and the language difference (Also, its dirty). Now... I'm still overwhelmed by Rome! But in these last few days I have warmed up to it.<br />
<br />
Here are how my senses have perceived Rome:<br />
<br />
The sounds of Rome include: people shouting (in many different languages), waiters trying to get you to eat at their pizzeria, men trying to peddle you touristy souvenirs, people insisting that their tour of the Vatican is best, vespas whizzing by and taxi drivers honking at idling pedestrians. It is just as chaotic as it sounds, plus some. With all the noise that comes from outside at every hour of the night I'm surprised I sleep as soundly as I do!<br />
<br />
When my ears can't handle the noise, I focus on what I'm seeing, which is just as overwhelming. Everything is so beautiful! Beautiful architecture, fountains, masterpieces of art in every church, newly married couples in St. Peter's square, cute Italian children running around, extreme wealth and extreme poverty, colorful gelato shops that tempt the hungry tourist.<br />
<br />
Tastes of Rome have been interesting. I have had some of the best gelato! (My favorite is tiramisu and pistachio. I still have a lot of flavors to try though!) Lots of good pasta, fresh tomatoes, tons of cheese of every variety. The pizza has been amazing, and I can't forget the wine!<br />
<br />
Besides the sights, sounds, and tastes, the smell has been interesting as well. BC students know what I mean when I say that Atchison has its own familiar stench. Well, I have found Rome does too! I have no need to miss Atchi-stench now! I won't fully describe the smell to you for fear of making you loose your lunch (have you even had lunch yet?), but let's say its a mix of cigarette smoke, dog poo, and the sewer. Compared to Rome, Atchison has it good! Imagine thousands of years of smells all in one city! Nasty!<br />
<br />
Apart from the senses, here is my reflection on the spirituality of Rome. The Catholic influence is so visible here. On almost every corner there is a picture or statue of Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord. Our tour guide on Monday told us that a large percent of Rome is Catholic, but of that number, a small percentage actually practices their faith. It seems crazy to me that in a city where the faith has such deep roots, there are so few that practice the faith wholeheartedly.<br />
<br />
It seems like human nature that when we have something good so available in everyday life we seem to take it for granted. We reject it because we think there is something greater, and we miss out on a lot of truth. My time here has reminded me that you can never be "too faithful" or "too Catholic." We can always grow in our faith, whatever religion.<br />
<br />
Rome is a beautiful and stimulating city. There is so much to see and it would take a lifetime to see it all. Hopefully one day I will be blessed to visit again. I have enjoyed my 10 days here, but the adventure has to continue! I'm excited to see what Florence has in store.<br />
<br />
Stay tuned! Pictures from Rome and Florence to come. (Internet is too slow now)<br />
<br />
Buonanotte!<br />
<br />
-MichelaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-78797621646493505512012-09-07T16:10:00.001-07:002012-09-07T16:11:47.455-07:00More of Rome! Today (Friday) is Day 9 in Rome. I have seen and experienced so much that writing this post seems like a daunting task. But here goes nothing!<br />
<br />
<b>A few of the highlights:</b><br />
1. Seeing all 4 of the major basilicas in Rome. They were all massive, beautiful and awe-inspiring.<br />
2. Having a beautiful confession at St. Mary Major (No, this isn't a prideful comment. My sins weren't great or anything, but the priest was so holy!)<br />
3. Seeing Montecassino and Subiaco, two places that our patron, St. Benedict, spent much time in prayer and in community.<br />
4. Going on the Scavi tour and seeing the bones of St. Peter! Yes! His BONES! It was insane!<br />
5. Ordering 1 hamburger and 1 regular fry from McDonald's in Italian!...I got 3 hamburgers instead. I'll work on my pronunciation more.<br />
6. Praying in numerous beautiful churches!<br />
7. Going to adoration at St. John in Laterine, Major Basilica.<br />
8. Singing Praise and Worship music with a few people in St. Peter's Square! So beautiful at night!<br />
9. Tried Pistachio Gelato for the first time! It was sooo good!<br />
10. Having Gelato period has been a highlight.<br />
11. Seeing the tomb of St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Benedict, St. Scholastica and numerous other holy men and women.<br />
12. Spending time with the men and women from BC who have embarked on this adventure with me!<br />
13. Having an audience with the pope! Our very own Papa Benedict XVI.<br />
14. Not having any homework (don't get too jealous, this will change soon)<br />
<br />
<b>A few of the negatives: </b><br />
1. They don't eat peanut butter here.<br />
2. I miss fresh fruits and vegetables and my mom's healthy cooking.<br />
3. The internet is really sketch (hence why I haven't posted much)<br />
4. Sometimes people on the subway think we are crazy Americans. (I will neither confirm nor deny this fact)<br />
5. I still don't know a lot of Italian.<br />
6. I'm still living out of a suitcase.<br />
<br />
But other than these things, I'm having an amazing time! A little look into the next few days: Tomorrow we have a tour of the Vatican Museum. Sunday we have a free day. Monday we move to Florence! So excited to see more of this beautiful country!<br />
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Here are more highlights in picture form.<br />
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<i>My camera has been overloaded with beautiful things, and it has failed to do most of them justice. (I'll share some pictures, but with the disclaimer that the real thing is so much more beautiful! You will have to see it for yourself one day if you haven't already!)</i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrXtemohlSzQeV9xZY9xLImGeXwFZ_IkyeQrw6CXtwHXn3zPda12kvU4wak8STN9Sdg4tTfocukGNuf5L6D471B8c8ycbsO6AC3otZY6jM0zxosJMTfjZaGJC_CruuEWgmq5KYCA4-8i5/s1600/Rome2345+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrXtemohlSzQeV9xZY9xLImGeXwFZ_IkyeQrw6CXtwHXn3zPda12kvU4wak8STN9Sdg4tTfocukGNuf5L6D471B8c8ycbsO6AC3otZY6jM0zxosJMTfjZaGJC_CruuEWgmq5KYCA4-8i5/s400/Rome2345+018.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saw the Moses statue. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjaoSFlJfIMfSr9Yxtejih_VH71to473gBjGta2jYL3euUO4xxNF69f-XAl9O1aupGZl3oiTr3V-I8AKjxe7VnutaVce_S7LDDcRgn2x375S5F_o7Ww2PVm5GGeNNAGxaN9Xeox26Ae5J/s1600/Rome2345+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjaoSFlJfIMfSr9Yxtejih_VH71to473gBjGta2jYL3euUO4xxNF69f-XAl9O1aupGZl3oiTr3V-I8AKjxe7VnutaVce_S7LDDcRgn2x375S5F_o7Ww2PVm5GGeNNAGxaN9Xeox26Ae5J/s400/Rome2345+019.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinotto: Typical Italian soda. Tasted like Licorice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR5aRJuXINwiilicalOLNpTOkQRmHCGXYmD_vJNoJbANS1UG4yodZuvOTAsm-q6bNgo9LxHwLsblflO8JefOjmqvDRDGRHw-GVRZfxEGpBA1vMk1UAXUq2G0jdcEY_R2u_P_UoNTv-ZRg/s1600/Rome2345+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHR5aRJuXINwiilicalOLNpTOkQRmHCGXYmD_vJNoJbANS1UG4yodZuvOTAsm-q6bNgo9LxHwLsblflO8JefOjmqvDRDGRHw-GVRZfxEGpBA1vMk1UAXUq2G0jdcEY_R2u_P_UoNTv-ZRg/s400/Rome2345+030.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going into St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbLahJooCyj33QQNXgU3YbFkip8rlEJOM0Zi8nnn2WPe2wj-YIf7SvMJ0sgXTY2z2KhY3ZdtqLDzd8bReQ0MgwhnVFGySOvZTe45YXAI74PE2VtQ7g8al4nU7WrqOp-Sts4u-dgGW3EbE/s1600/Rome2345+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbLahJooCyj33QQNXgU3YbFkip8rlEJOM0Zi8nnn2WPe2wj-YIf7SvMJ0sgXTY2z2KhY3ZdtqLDzd8bReQ0MgwhnVFGySOvZTe45YXAI74PE2VtQ7g8al4nU7WrqOp-Sts4u-dgGW3EbE/s400/Rome2345+036.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing the Pieta in real life! Amazing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhayd_1PCCjx21qGq64xE4ymjIMy8kzy2wAyc-9S2CSkDQhsfF7OzdY25smFJS8mf3KZpeKEvx8Sh8gdoAfJR5WpHwglIDCoFGsZ5Rfg9Xug44sDJpIw7RsSL352UpfQ93UPXsq_15LrQ/s1600/Rome2345+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPhayd_1PCCjx21qGq64xE4ymjIMy8kzy2wAyc-9S2CSkDQhsfF7OzdY25smFJS8mf3KZpeKEvx8Sh8gdoAfJR5WpHwglIDCoFGsZ5Rfg9Xug44sDJpIw7RsSL352UpfQ93UPXsq_15LrQ/s400/Rome2345+047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will receive power when the Holy Spirit falls upon you.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwUWKJmzPp1zxxm9xr7gbDR43H1zncHLKku398iYSOc-lLQnzyZ8R44ipzppqxhdQUtXkO31zTLmj9sZ6UDi-C3TBTgu3c4QnZD2BUVW2kPU7TEno9iHtn5y84i4HA2xjqnARj0jxi0SB/s1600/Rome2345+057.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwUWKJmzPp1zxxm9xr7gbDR43H1zncHLKku398iYSOc-lLQnzyZ8R44ipzppqxhdQUtXkO31zTLmj9sZ6UDi-C3TBTgu3c4QnZD2BUVW2kPU7TEno9iHtn5y84i4HA2xjqnARj0jxi0SB/s1600/Rome2345+057.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeing the Pantheon! It rains inside there. Pretty neat.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIMprTVq9a4NSpzTe63jB7fH-f9rDhFICj6WJzMrIzJ_rqH4mZO5hWuOTKmV0rqZGCW_OKrKOOmi3O2zjAKU3CzuEF2Rm7Ap9mKlaladxCv66dwhFDjI39B651wdbncvkm2PIE7zmcnyE/s1600/Rome2345+064.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIMprTVq9a4NSpzTe63jB7fH-f9rDhFICj6WJzMrIzJ_rqH4mZO5hWuOTKmV0rqZGCW_OKrKOOmi3O2zjAKU3CzuEF2Rm7Ap9mKlaladxCv66dwhFDjI39B651wdbncvkm2PIE7zmcnyE/s1600/Rome2345+064.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church where St. Catherine of Siena is buried. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzapXYRXwdnchvjcEJMkh2hIa33nyxLsm8zhflr5anadHFSL6ztmv1oksy7rGkQoeFAGXG-gf2fl2kkVlOW8ULd6KTjDR12YWuGb1cROnvtsuhiDlAj6nDQKqEHZGTTAQoNPSWF6_C73Y/s1600/Rome2345+065.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzapXYRXwdnchvjcEJMkh2hIa33nyxLsm8zhflr5anadHFSL6ztmv1oksy7rGkQoeFAGXG-gf2fl2kkVlOW8ULd6KTjDR12YWuGb1cROnvtsuhiDlAj6nDQKqEHZGTTAQoNPSWF6_C73Y/s1600/Rome2345+065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomb of St. Catherine of Siena. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kTniiEJbzVtd5y7YxVjHVBHTEOOklXaAjPsxuG5lwWc7-CdHMfzGyI4uPD1dosC-emlb1h0CHf2oBQeFpsDvByANB1Q2z-z6EWNkCNtRbSwrQMUEwDvQP6RnAHv5JqYhHAZ_PJoChZur/s1600/Rome2345+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_kTniiEJbzVtd5y7YxVjHVBHTEOOklXaAjPsxuG5lwWc7-CdHMfzGyI4uPD1dosC-emlb1h0CHf2oBQeFpsDvByANB1Q2z-z6EWNkCNtRbSwrQMUEwDvQP6RnAHv5JqYhHAZ_PJoChZur/s400/Rome2345+080.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sitting on the Spanish steps. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxPRSKFJpMMKAVYoaBM2l7guZZPzDFe20ZdKSrxAT1eOcj8zlx_gGfxhnGb1SW7RQCXUqW8zOEdESJEKnkq9p6hoTL_i_1EWtiRc4qtL4pkFsvLTkksFBeU_YLCZTxpqgMPNPgER6O7d/s1600/Rome2345+085.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXoxPRSKFJpMMKAVYoaBM2l7guZZPzDFe20ZdKSrxAT1eOcj8zlx_gGfxhnGb1SW7RQCXUqW8zOEdESJEKnkq9p6hoTL_i_1EWtiRc4qtL4pkFsvLTkksFBeU_YLCZTxpqgMPNPgER6O7d/s640/Rome2345+085.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Roman Sky.... If only you could see the real thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwk_lCHds5nb1ObmXnWq1OsIGHAoKhbTrPWuphtK3PHs56liGVTjU_yF4XQkPLafl61p951_IY4GMWnuilCnnbil_vDFODngD_G4jayAI1QEzaWERpHLnO_k1GINFejwdc9jaLH4wwq_2/s1600/Rome2345+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbwk_lCHds5nb1ObmXnWq1OsIGHAoKhbTrPWuphtK3PHs56liGVTjU_yF4XQkPLafl61p951_IY4GMWnuilCnnbil_vDFODngD_G4jayAI1QEzaWERpHLnO_k1GINFejwdc9jaLH4wwq_2/s400/Rome2345+089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adorable little girl and Grandma! She brought me so much joy! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SRN4kpmHbGXW4T_08jLOAEpm8AYuipTv5fKnEQXicAZss7drCEFmzLVXCm39y5l_RrxYMsEOiboUK7pvcEwR9lSI1DyGhoo1auECgKW-j2u1SjcSzFFhzc_hkpIAar0lt0yRbB-0dptp/s1600/Rome2345+099.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7SRN4kpmHbGXW4T_08jLOAEpm8AYuipTv5fKnEQXicAZss7drCEFmzLVXCm39y5l_RrxYMsEOiboUK7pvcEwR9lSI1DyGhoo1auECgKW-j2u1SjcSzFFhzc_hkpIAar0lt0yRbB-0dptp/s1600/Rome2345+099.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring the Colosseum in the rain. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPUrTGOd-uqMZkDS-oyJQqnKZCwKyVFqNA_IrinjSjxGAafA40eWuM6KB97Bn8i6myD6xwhy0cTk0EsaE9loBxuMp0toQwBRX0nVJb4haMj4SDVLxb0wxKK3F2GWauJsTCR4A34jvFS_s/s1600/Rome2345+102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPUrTGOd-uqMZkDS-oyJQqnKZCwKyVFqNA_IrinjSjxGAafA40eWuM6KB97Bn8i6myD6xwhy0cTk0EsaE9loBxuMp0toQwBRX0nVJb4haMj4SDVLxb0wxKK3F2GWauJsTCR4A34jvFS_s/s400/Rome2345+102.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at all those umbrellas! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGvKPlsMqghMfc1pH9cSQb6qtkM0rht_4hj968mujY5p2cVnQPbWgbBHBtJOLY6shX-h5h39HS9MKcJW81erFR7u0BHRVFjYn7DiZ7PqvII0qxN66iv4gE6_j54YYm1Z201tSgExEvtLm/s1600/Rome2345+112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaGvKPlsMqghMfc1pH9cSQb6qtkM0rht_4hj968mujY5p2cVnQPbWgbBHBtJOLY6shX-h5h39HS9MKcJW81erFR7u0BHRVFjYn7DiZ7PqvII0qxN66iv4gE6_j54YYm1Z201tSgExEvtLm/s400/Rome2345+112.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to homeschooling I knew what this said! Thanks, Mom! p.s. Do you see the headless man in this picture? Haha old statues sometimes lose their heads!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5L3Cyspr5hNp_5yH3cygy_py1LhplNcSmQHgMdOEEhZn3taqQt1Ahv_qbNcad7AulphPJU1IC7NdIStRTY95ZT-BZWDYLKXEqS9R7ph6eg2oFl_17xYCdL9nHmuvpU_PnWl0g0w59Vva/s1600/Rome2345+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy5L3Cyspr5hNp_5yH3cygy_py1LhplNcSmQHgMdOEEhZn3taqQt1Ahv_qbNcad7AulphPJU1IC7NdIStRTY95ZT-BZWDYLKXEqS9R7ph6eg2oFl_17xYCdL9nHmuvpU_PnWl0g0w59Vva/s400/Rome2345+114.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love seeing all the priests walking around this city!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here is a video of our audience with the Pope!</div>
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You are in my prayers! Thanks to those who commented on ideas for pictures! I am in the process of getting those up! I have something fun planned! If you have anymore ideas let me know!<br />
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Pax,<br />
Michela<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-20422343169716113122012-08-31T13:47:00.003-07:002012-08-31T13:47:52.387-07:00Traveling Abroad: Matters of Great Importance<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Attention Everyone!</span></b><br />
<br />
So today when we were <a href="http://justmichelasjourney.blogspot.it/2012/08/on-roman-time.html" target="_blank">strolling through Rome</a> I was taking tons of pictures of buildings, some of them are really cool, some I am in, some are of random people, but<b> I decided I need your help!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I am getting really bored of standing in front of pretty buildings smiling, and I'm not feeling very creative. I need some suggestions of things or ways to take pictures. Things like different poses (ex: hands in the air, making a silly face, etc...), different things you want to see (ex: the Eiffel tower, an Italian dog, etc...), or some other interesting/crazy/ridiculous suggestion.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf_1uZpKig7MrECNLqLUUceh_7xjqdV9n8qoU7XcMc567gxsbUBIeH9EbcNpUxFy0A0k5sy3F4KJvW3ICjIhpCCidtJE_X6dca2EGbmQkCxfcD3o6j_kqGLrvtlQK_ANfc2rZXr00KIvI/s1600/Rome1+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf_1uZpKig7MrECNLqLUUceh_7xjqdV9n8qoU7XcMc567gxsbUBIeH9EbcNpUxFy0A0k5sy3F4KJvW3ICjIhpCCidtJE_X6dca2EGbmQkCxfcD3o6j_kqGLrvtlQK_ANfc2rZXr00KIvI/s320/Rome1+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know what to do with my hands.... </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Post your ideas below in the comment box and every week I will pick the best ones and put them on my blog. </b>Then come check out the picture that you inspired! The credit will be given to the mastermind, of course! So please, help a sister out! Don't worry if you think it is too ridiculous, or I will never do it, or whatever other excuse you can think of, I don't care! Post it! Share the fun :)<br />
<br />
I'm hoping that a lot of my viewers will post different ideas and we can keep this photo journal going with participation on both sides! So let's do this! It will be good ;)<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Michela<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-44962123187681105182012-08-31T10:46:00.002-07:002012-08-31T10:46:47.395-07:00On Roman Time<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
I spent the majority of today in the center of Rome. It is such an interesting city. Everyone is moving so fast, cars are bustling by, hardly stopping for pedestrians. People are walking fast, talking fast, etc... but then everyone is functioning on their own time. The clerk at the Gelato store will check you out when he wants to, and the lady at the supermarket sits while she rings you up.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
I also was surprised today when I learned that for a city that is constantly crowded with tourists they take their pausa pranzo (lunch break) very seriously. From about 12:00pm to 2:30pm every church is closed. From 2:30pm to 5:00pm every restaurant is closed. It's crazy! For a girl coming from the 24- hour city of Las Vegas its hard to imagine being closed in the middle of the day!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here are some of the sites we saw today...</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAKmUdCP0kBKeMSOIN0mglOOLLHIxxlerMqntQUoLNUxQYwVUqSfo2R9q1edp-JOn5Ttu3D-IhVl0Ki-r_F4VeGlQ-vO-fLDwxV7ZYMhtlwovDp9CiweqJXfX5sObTPvsxRZK_ItfUtOy/s1600/Rome1+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAKmUdCP0kBKeMSOIN0mglOOLLHIxxlerMqntQUoLNUxQYwVUqSfo2R9q1edp-JOn5Ttu3D-IhVl0Ki-r_F4VeGlQ-vO-fLDwxV7ZYMhtlwovDp9CiweqJXfX5sObTPvsxRZK_ItfUtOy/s320/Rome1+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trevi Fountain and the 100s of tourists<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72SpaqB56IqHzR4ACttjPC4KIGQA8pEnMpMJMOKm1-25wn5W-rPMtHARmdw78LPL3SKjmBEEhsMcjeGctFEWqmd8ZWiSlmIw-L8zONlkwY9ZkeH88D39BlQZcVXXhk2SyeaMaRGZoV23b/s1600/Rome1+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72SpaqB56IqHzR4ACttjPC4KIGQA8pEnMpMJMOKm1-25wn5W-rPMtHARmdw78LPL3SKjmBEEhsMcjeGctFEWqmd8ZWiSlmIw-L8zONlkwY9ZkeH88D39BlQZcVXXhk2SyeaMaRGZoV23b/s320/Rome1+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">making a wish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO5jhmzTJUSsga7aQSiU73zfI7HD8lVhi0moI8TUqE1Igov8UHodOuIJogC2hATHid8cyWCqTbOfXXx5Sa2vDunuJrVZqYBTkw9GTLExaTkOaYlmcWYB9IPVIK-cnS9Grfnk7OWP6vkDP/s1600/Rome1+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRO5jhmzTJUSsga7aQSiU73zfI7HD8lVhi0moI8TUqE1Igov8UHodOuIJogC2hATHid8cyWCqTbOfXXx5Sa2vDunuJrVZqYBTkw9GTLExaTkOaYlmcWYB9IPVIK-cnS9Grfnk7OWP6vkDP/s320/Rome1+029.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cutest old couple trying to stay dry in the middle of a rain storm. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqeAjuJ5FVePHR4UpYSQMQXZ6azUCDRI4nhRxA5ZlvTU2FZ4L7aqJ9GPYg_7VYpaPpRQ6uTiDHHvqnK0RFaswXbDMEAwfUuepQN58E8xGYzd3_sIGUPVddcZfMXVzCzddjy_T1VYtkcSt/s1600/Rome1+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqeAjuJ5FVePHR4UpYSQMQXZ6azUCDRI4nhRxA5ZlvTU2FZ4L7aqJ9GPYg_7VYpaPpRQ6uTiDHHvqnK0RFaswXbDMEAwfUuepQN58E8xGYzd3_sIGUPVddcZfMXVzCzddjy_T1VYtkcSt/s320/Rome1+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first church we visited.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTViFxs6o4ChqkeQAHoZklKgVwDyvT5aeRiSQw4h0c1abIauxuHL5pfu2mUl8AAevsdGHFs5aCH0XFe5vzDN8AAMZo1uciEENUfz4aEOdEuugnISqx16spio63TdadwPNd4t2z0CdouEL/s1600/Rome1+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNTViFxs6o4ChqkeQAHoZklKgVwDyvT5aeRiSQw4h0c1abIauxuHL5pfu2mUl8AAevsdGHFs5aCH0XFe5vzDN8AAMZo1uciEENUfz4aEOdEuugnISqx16spio63TdadwPNd4t2z0CdouEL/s320/Rome1+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't know what this is called, but it was massive!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SmFnhPfVNm5pgXGUZvvHnkhiWOiTzKMg8-xuLnccPz1F3MitGYaBelLMBeRA0OCBB7_feYrrqVsOl5NToag2jtKXe_EQB-VPRYTY_3R_NAWXbPAJSjdFh8jqmABBk8K-RQ8VaOBRjadl/s1600/Rome1+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SmFnhPfVNm5pgXGUZvvHnkhiWOiTzKMg8-xuLnccPz1F3MitGYaBelLMBeRA0OCBB7_feYrrqVsOl5NToag2jtKXe_EQB-VPRYTY_3R_NAWXbPAJSjdFh8jqmABBk8K-RQ8VaOBRjadl/s320/Rome1+050.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of the Basilica d'Maria in Araceoli</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">/<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjMJGLZIOlQEGxKVCO0bMLgFGpANM_1FU6jWn4W9dn49rJnluEgrG8TdXHkGYvKM9LaGdzEiB81QuAr0v3ZdGbcBAXnfWJiwfIrbmBuSRmixVn7bEoIZPbgOCyoau8eGdmoZN_W0EEpcC/s1600/Rome1+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjMJGLZIOlQEGxKVCO0bMLgFGpANM_1FU6jWn4W9dn49rJnluEgrG8TdXHkGYvKM9LaGdzEiB81QuAr0v3ZdGbcBAXnfWJiwfIrbmBuSRmixVn7bEoIZPbgOCyoau8eGdmoZN_W0EEpcC/s320/Rome1+052.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I offered up a prayer for all of you today! May our Blessed Mother watch over and protect you.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbUlkQ1JWhCcVpO5fvrIZFNOx-HuWEVsDurmJ56XRRfn_dBW32Pn-TpLMppJ2X4tm0L8qrcaDnY2Y7brDmfHPieDqessKAdy7N8-z0eIudpRkUBrEkD6ehDnc2jAO2DGKVrJXb_Xi0Hp0/s1600/Rome1+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbUlkQ1JWhCcVpO5fvrIZFNOx-HuWEVsDurmJ56XRRfn_dBW32Pn-TpLMppJ2X4tm0L8qrcaDnY2Y7brDmfHPieDqessKAdy7N8-z0eIudpRkUBrEkD6ehDnc2jAO2DGKVrJXb_Xi0Hp0/s320/Rome1+059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Gelato in Roma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;">/<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQC19C-_T6OTKtOaarpsLj2Cc3BWNf2oVMyJKx67wm12NBEMQGDmmCmewhRRsF_fvDnKt_fqMSgnb7ze7-CInW-1JsXEcIrb_s-09pt34jnZjg5kacYLi3GoaW1XfA1SSSRAwD4F9vFsV/s1600/Rome1+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQC19C-_T6OTKtOaarpsLj2Cc3BWNf2oVMyJKx67wm12NBEMQGDmmCmewhRRsF_fvDnKt_fqMSgnb7ze7-CInW-1JsXEcIrb_s-09pt34jnZjg5kacYLi3GoaW1XfA1SSSRAwD4F9vFsV/s320/Rome1+060.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiramisu Gelato. Delicious! And is that the papal seal on the cone?</td></tr>
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That's all for now... Till we meet again, Ciao!</div>
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Michela<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-12497317436239364912012-08-30T13:12:00.003-07:002012-08-30T15:38:18.480-07:00London to Rome // Just the beginning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, at last I am able to sit down and share with you all what I have been up to for the past few days! I'll try to share with you the really good stuff so that I don't bore you to death. So much happened though! I won't be offended if you get bored and stop reading. In fact, I'll never know!<br />
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<b>Monday</b>:<br />
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Arriving in London in the morning we had all day to explore! We didn't know where to start but somehow found our way to Hyde Park. What an amazing place. It was so green and colorful! The flowers, bikers, people picnicking, strolling and just soaking in the perfect weather made it a picture perfect day! Londoners love their parks!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtYRVjUh-iwzQ6Tw3wqaPzv7YWrAaAVgOL83Z1MlON30yZJrILhXHxEq0G6C6vnBqmHT02s0oQMykb4OBlBMiXVWdCJFkThuseK6o3tltLIP9LGFAD_wPPr4JiZxVtv24XwY2Sfn8vRdn/s1600/london1+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtYRVjUh-iwzQ6Tw3wqaPzv7YWrAaAVgOL83Z1MlON30yZJrILhXHxEq0G6C6vnBqmHT02s0oQMykb4OBlBMiXVWdCJFkThuseK6o3tltLIP9LGFAD_wPPr4JiZxVtv24XwY2Sfn8vRdn/s320/london1+031.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the flowers were this beautiful!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGiwIeKM9HhMTu9Z4npBgMJF3U_TfLX_3Dg0B1gsT_cGq3kF3VmByQ5vzy0zc2Qjdjz0DGoX-EyqyN9M69gqnIRwdsK-IUQzwsXczcJ5JtXcL8Y6UUlanN_hg9lyBjSVBVYo73epfiC8p/s1600/london1+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheGiwIeKM9HhMTu9Z4npBgMJF3U_TfLX_3Dg0B1gsT_cGq3kF3VmByQ5vzy0zc2Qjdjz0DGoX-EyqyN9M69gqnIRwdsK-IUQzwsXczcJ5JtXcL8Y6UUlanN_hg9lyBjSVBVYo73epfiC8p/s320/london1+041.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ4UktTxyv0NwaosXkZLX5wYrHYndaE1BA52bJ_zC1XCU8vw6WLJEWP4cfpd_7CXoajglFjTQ_8DA48Cl0tgsQ8-UL4dWe17Z4nSZqih1-YPuevmCJT1mYpfm9x3bEoiQtgnWdC5NsWLM/s1600/london1+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZ4UktTxyv0NwaosXkZLX5wYrHYndaE1BA52bJ_zC1XCU8vw6WLJEWP4cfpd_7CXoajglFjTQ_8DA48Cl0tgsQ8-UL4dWe17Z4nSZqih1-YPuevmCJT1mYpfm9x3bEoiQtgnWdC5NsWLM/s320/london1+043.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how this mom and her son are playing right next to the Peter Pan statue. They were so cute to watch. Oh to be a kid again...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6YFdQz5UW2v1YN2wbWp0T2bBlnF7MgA_DsKeiDnGgY86dsGcf6ZSxLP4FxlwDUhbxACVM5qp9zx6i04x7d3x8jvtxjk6Ak4cR3U0lzo3LZleKj0zlAGzr-nrk4W9k93Zr4Y8Az3peuQZ/s1600/london1+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6YFdQz5UW2v1YN2wbWp0T2bBlnF7MgA_DsKeiDnGgY86dsGcf6ZSxLP4FxlwDUhbxACVM5qp9zx6i04x7d3x8jvtxjk6Ak4cR3U0lzo3LZleKj0zlAGzr-nrk4W9k93Zr4Y8Az3peuQZ/s320/london1+048.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny, Becca and I next to the Italian fountains (precursor to the real thing)</td></tr>
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Later that day we had dinner at The Swan, a busy and fun place to be right next to the park. I ordered the fish and chips (it was on every menu we saw!). I love fish and chips, but the one new British thing was the mashed peas (pictured below) that came with it... So strange. At first I thought it was guacamole. I was a little disappointed. But, I made myself eat them (aren't you proud, Mom?!) because I wanted to know why they are so popular. I'm still trying to figure this one out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUyg8Ur2NnV-ANj9H9nwI7qUMeAq6cRmX09DJOa-WV8HlYyy8HOdSFGUkLFAt5Bp1-Kb8JKd6DTZrtINhsPcqYk1WnZS7Ud1lGNhaIfd3m6PCxUP_U6xr5z3XjX_5fvJeTUD1UetGPRnJ/s1600/london1+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUyg8Ur2NnV-ANj9H9nwI7qUMeAq6cRmX09DJOa-WV8HlYyy8HOdSFGUkLFAt5Bp1-Kb8JKd6DTZrtINhsPcqYk1WnZS7Ud1lGNhaIfd3m6PCxUP_U6xr5z3XjX_5fvJeTUD1UetGPRnJ/s320/london1+052.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1st English meal.</td></tr>
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<i>(13 hours of sleep later...)</i></div>
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<b>Tuesday</b>:</div>
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It was another perfect day in London. The weather was cool but still sunny. First, random thought: The people in London dress so classy. I just love to people watch and see how stylish people are. I honestly think there is no such thing as hipster in London because they are all so cool and unique in their style. Ok, thank you for being patient with me. Now back on subject... We had the intention of going to Hyde Park to meet up with the Sandeman's Free London tour. It was fantastic! If you ever go to a city with Sandeman's use them. They are great. Our tour guide, Mark, was hilarious but so knowledgeable. Here are some of the places we saw:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxPo3ep4GjtbKBmOE06uolC-KEHQzl4LZ7RnMJRk9oZGWLYnrz7TMav0e9zXqybLzreJZrHwbqDwA_i-QtkLXTPJl_ifTa-94Q3fG3Qd0_pCQzvpBy6drcEysBdWer1pHd7KwxXLIeDm3/s1600/london234+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxPo3ep4GjtbKBmOE06uolC-KEHQzl4LZ7RnMJRk9oZGWLYnrz7TMav0e9zXqybLzreJZrHwbqDwA_i-QtkLXTPJl_ifTa-94Q3fG3Qd0_pCQzvpBy6drcEysBdWer1pHd7KwxXLIeDm3/s320/london234+008.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic Phone Booth Pic. I just had to.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2RKyWJRWQn6duFiQY5uI1PHdmFn6DcEhNmLPv7cCEgMjUAHD7KRCcqjYEESfv8KEWDAHrNr57LotCmQ6_zKqkZVnRjaqjr15Iy-nu69pfqdNqeKmmcEGkMT__3V1hXwlxJ9ONxHlixYA/s1600/london234+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA2RKyWJRWQn6duFiQY5uI1PHdmFn6DcEhNmLPv7cCEgMjUAHD7KRCcqjYEESfv8KEWDAHrNr57LotCmQ6_zKqkZVnRjaqjr15Iy-nu69pfqdNqeKmmcEGkMT__3V1hXwlxJ9ONxHlixYA/s320/london234+012.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome door to an Anglican Church.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2SQMDNi-e-qHft0NXkO-dbqC0-DvdnvQ_3gBba9Uk5nVygeZo4eIuswPL-KG6R8xyfeqQKhUb0zpaC_EkFNhYqUCQDNCZOseWvt6LfjdsUQFXYRoXGK06a5sW4fqoSo-KPdBOpim0uyf/s1600/london234+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2SQMDNi-e-qHft0NXkO-dbqC0-DvdnvQ_3gBba9Uk5nVygeZo4eIuswPL-KG6R8xyfeqQKhUb0zpaC_EkFNhYqUCQDNCZOseWvt6LfjdsUQFXYRoXGK06a5sW4fqoSo-KPdBOpim0uyf/s320/london234+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckingham Palace. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQuMOuguO9_42g8gQhXkUZmGq5AgCjB-aAyNiFp13OQhmBAJiHI6KCInyATuMz9uM021CYUDIANIPNk5HtgcWvX096ObiotOtWNEMnoLWp-jOYOrvKKLRf_4qgguVq4reoujfNEJGALBu/s1600/london234+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQuMOuguO9_42g8gQhXkUZmGq5AgCjB-aAyNiFp13OQhmBAJiHI6KCInyATuMz9uM021CYUDIANIPNk5HtgcWvX096ObiotOtWNEMnoLWp-jOYOrvKKLRf_4qgguVq4reoujfNEJGALBu/s320/london234+037.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben (did you know that Big Ben is not the name of the tower itself, but rather the name of the huge bell inside? Crazy right?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHkBu48Y9Srwjz6kf7Cko7reINwFxgszflZd4qyHLjXsk8luPiLbwmR1IssQRnZzUJpNQkDVKozwGvNz6g03GW7oNW6h_eT86V_f9YxpX1maIxh0Juilf0FZRwbCAJpCohCXmp0zWzPR4/s1600/london234+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHkBu48Y9Srwjz6kf7Cko7reINwFxgszflZd4qyHLjXsk8luPiLbwmR1IssQRnZzUJpNQkDVKozwGvNz6g03GW7oNW6h_eT86V_f9YxpX1maIxh0Juilf0FZRwbCAJpCohCXmp0zWzPR4/s320/london234+038.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Westminster Abbey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGDzZoO5TG81GEA43l6WtjRExygaazoftsatS4ubnPknbx235frYrvBEVVXpMSZL_6SsK-U8Sqe8XCWlxO_SYerbJEBKQfFpRIU2GJr_xJyjTASFmJN7fscmRQJLDOQ67V2s3lDxZZWsz/s1600/london234+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoGDzZoO5TG81GEA43l6WtjRExygaazoftsatS4ubnPknbx235frYrvBEVVXpMSZL_6SsK-U8Sqe8XCWlxO_SYerbJEBKQfFpRIU2GJr_xJyjTASFmJN7fscmRQJLDOQ67V2s3lDxZZWsz/s320/london234+042.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mark out fantastic guide with a crazy hair cut, telling us all about Guy Forks and the event that could have changed England's history forever. </td></tr>
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I feel like part of the experience in traveling is meeting new people from all over. On our tour we met two nice Australians and enjoyed lunch together. Mia and Jimmy were both traveling by on their own (a new idea for the three of us) and were exploring all of Europe for 3 months. Apparently this is a really popular thing for young adults in Australia. I thought that was so cool. I loved talking to them and hearing their accent. Quite fun. Food note: I ordered the traditional Steak and Ale pie and mash. It was delicious, though not what I expected. Sorry no picture to show.<br />
<br />
After we went on another tour with Mark (yes, he was that good, we even payed for the next tour with him). It was called the Grimm Reaper tour and took place in East London and visited a lot of the not so pretty but quite interesting places in London: Tower of London, public square where beheadings took place, sites of Jack the Ripper killings, Old London wall, and more that I am forgetting. To end the night we headed to High Holborn Street for a beer at Cittie of Yorke pub, a recommendation by a experienced London traveler. So good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSmGRczBkDmgqP12rjd7yoxud-R28XJtLyvlPiSvRzlR6-Sz1fXm9gYwXGkackJlEOsUBv_7z_KXB49SXsBQMDDHIdtYI1xSng1hrqxODTz83ZkaUk_6InHml8E7OV6kym6EDeG0xXQS5/s1600/london234+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSmGRczBkDmgqP12rjd7yoxud-R28XJtLyvlPiSvRzlR6-Sz1fXm9gYwXGkackJlEOsUBv_7z_KXB49SXsBQMDDHIdtYI1xSng1hrqxODTz83ZkaUk_6InHml8E7OV6kym6EDeG0xXQS5/s320/london234+046.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tour of London. Pretty Creepy stuff happened in their.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiMcBrYbL4QOJhwX2Pk1KXIgT-PEd6ioO9J1-krexna5xahcY0N4Qoy4B0FjSR240PA6hWSOK1qWuO9YX4oYbGbbULxcwfZqDphaRaLvpbZ0pKX2rTivnbASrA6nfNi3k9DzO-x6THHTk/s1600/london234+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiMcBrYbL4QOJhwX2Pk1KXIgT-PEd6ioO9J1-krexna5xahcY0N4Qoy4B0FjSR240PA6hWSOK1qWuO9YX4oYbGbbULxcwfZqDphaRaLvpbZ0pKX2rTivnbASrA6nfNi3k9DzO-x6THHTk/s320/london234+049.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's one for the Queen!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<b>Wednesday</b>:<br />
<br />
Our main goal was to see a play at the Globe theater today. We decided to get the tickets and spend the rest of the day on the south bank of the Thames river (pronounced "Tems" by some and "Tims" by others...confusing). We saw the "Taming of the Shrew" and it was incredibly hilarious! It was so cool to be right next to the stage, standing so close to all the action. I don't think my feet thought it was that cool, but they complied with my demands.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7GFLYl01YTXhxVg4rUk3NxqVt8j0yshUs5ZXgCCmeEd78vN26rar_HbbNdxAbfXQ5I2u2tGBqyr8fixa1sHiUHgrnOC7YcE111edNzOtYiJkcfNvgOc3HMn7KYM7vVaeDntHny6j8E63/s1600/london234+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7GFLYl01YTXhxVg4rUk3NxqVt8j0yshUs5ZXgCCmeEd78vN26rar_HbbNdxAbfXQ5I2u2tGBqyr8fixa1sHiUHgrnOC7YcE111edNzOtYiJkcfNvgOc3HMn7KYM7vVaeDntHny6j8E63/s320/london234+058.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating a Brat at the Borough Market... Yum.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTpHmg0hdvz2H3Dwb-9X0A6LFj5Bqq6VvhkUoDa4H3AoPdYrf_tOAdKv7A3TQswCeCL8-ePuuLaJuxkB_roGPz-tWrjC4z7_w6BniwjEJtmXnDqXCsZJem-eArJrhqiiB1fFJ1Y7Kf9gG/s1600/london234+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTpHmg0hdvz2H3Dwb-9X0A6LFj5Bqq6VvhkUoDa4H3AoPdYrf_tOAdKv7A3TQswCeCL8-ePuuLaJuxkB_roGPz-tWrjC4z7_w6BniwjEJtmXnDqXCsZJem-eArJrhqiiB1fFJ1Y7Kf9gG/s320/london234+056.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tate Modern Art Exhibit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKTgzGP-rPNGJhCQdTIxGf1L1sbMzv6xj8zM_qWNaZFeUwuEIFtWs1EFkgrjFfqe4DjEVuj4TQxg5pJD8__3iKrz738KDjirjWNy9QSu6FsJo9-XozXsiDiBxnJWYax_ZeRJtSBzmSIq6/s1600/london234+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvKTgzGP-rPNGJhCQdTIxGf1L1sbMzv6xj8zM_qWNaZFeUwuEIFtWs1EFkgrjFfqe4DjEVuj4TQxg5pJD8__3iKrz738KDjirjWNy9QSu6FsJo9-XozXsiDiBxnJWYax_ZeRJtSBzmSIq6/s320/london234+066.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "New" Globe Theater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwOwq5Z6DJQ7SrVPc0Y_ynLk4yAWIlYxd7dZ09l2M2Gk-sxe5KAGJVkhiv6EBl193G3537Ny1E3UfKwGy0c7-UKzZqxfhwI81WCZxdmo-vH1V9_ncBAQqu2Fw-HeZtzTUyT1SuzGO40u2/s1600/london234+067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIwOwq5Z6DJQ7SrVPc0Y_ynLk4yAWIlYxd7dZ09l2M2Gk-sxe5KAGJVkhiv6EBl193G3537Ny1E3UfKwGy0c7-UKzZqxfhwI81WCZxdmo-vH1V9_ncBAQqu2Fw-HeZtzTUyT1SuzGO40u2/s320/london234+067.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a fun night! We made "10 things I hate about you" comparisons all night.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzQlIGN4Hf5ot5M7817Nqs9yLF5T_NhYxc29z5PCBv7ppoL3ff_2LIpeGTdvgfzgVQyc7uBbLBHurTQGF-tlDaR-CLbbtjXGKTA96dl_XaOWh3ahxR66DiNK-Sg-FgPBNkwFCwjivt70T/s1600/london234+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzQlIGN4Hf5ot5M7817Nqs9yLF5T_NhYxc29z5PCBv7ppoL3ff_2LIpeGTdvgfzgVQyc7uBbLBHurTQGF-tlDaR-CLbbtjXGKTA96dl_XaOWh3ahxR66DiNK-Sg-FgPBNkwFCwjivt70T/s320/london234+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London at night<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBWUBc7Ege-1Vaq2-eBq5F2U-RBX8sov167-mlHPscOYAopUbzJjH9YaLpMKjKmfkWXAOUTP_5lUpCGBySGMdiMsG1DeDlv1dZEXCWhR6kWY8Uvk6lpXpX9tzTyaOoHc1KKh25tGOQyqA/s1600/london234+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBWUBc7Ege-1Vaq2-eBq5F2U-RBX8sov167-mlHPscOYAopUbzJjH9YaLpMKjKmfkWXAOUTP_5lUpCGBySGMdiMsG1DeDlv1dZEXCWhR6kWY8Uvk6lpXpX9tzTyaOoHc1KKh25tGOQyqA/s320/london234+075.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9ozl8CUyAI6zjbrvaq0JkTFyIRe9f67zd-O4beAPJvIvEOk_h_MSbhX-3XgQfuwYyFX93F88JqdjcH1CZ2lrqsdaTucAGN8Za-MnQL5g8OIMJv467QgpPjxmeFMa6JAgrGOvAHJW7_33/s1600/london234+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9ozl8CUyAI6zjbrvaq0JkTFyIRe9f67zd-O4beAPJvIvEOk_h_MSbhX-3XgQfuwYyFX93F88JqdjcH1CZ2lrqsdaTucAGN8Za-MnQL5g8OIMJv467QgpPjxmeFMa6JAgrGOvAHJW7_33/s320/london234+076.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfepfgdZGxkr84qYWe053QH0NSO-ckvsQqEFfdvt7klefEAVs2WRGAxsHkC0DXC7tXNeZITL-knLVwnGG44QXv6j4ch9RcQanLndAJsjwQTMsEMyW0oCOKo2k_X8M37KLlqjIi_yajdwq/s1600/london234+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfepfgdZGxkr84qYWe053QH0NSO-ckvsQqEFfdvt7klefEAVs2WRGAxsHkC0DXC7tXNeZITL-knLVwnGG44QXv6j4ch9RcQanLndAJsjwQTMsEMyW0oCOKo2k_X8M37KLlqjIi_yajdwq/s320/london234+077.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Overall, London was a fabulous experience! The weather, the people, the sites, it was a perfect way to begin this adventure. (And my new favorite word is rubbish. Can refer to ideas, material trash, people, or things that are a bunch of bologna)</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUBRSWVnu5lK0500HD8vNQ70hF9ymsqgCtVhzlrA_sRlG0ZCQzJZTDYALqvQgoI78CEUw5RgC0_760GmWTWrX9fNvWE9ufaeVHWjBL2svIIM1Wjj60xnGNJPUO5dSwG94jVtxq-Dna3TF/s1600/london234+050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcUBRSWVnu5lK0500HD8vNQ70hF9ymsqgCtVhzlrA_sRlG0ZCQzJZTDYALqvQgoI78CEUw5RgC0_760GmWTWrX9fNvWE9ufaeVHWjBL2svIIM1Wjj60xnGNJPUO5dSwG94jVtxq-Dna3TF/s320/london234+050.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I won the award for best use of map and most obvious tourist! </td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Arriving in Rome today was not so comfortable, but an adventure in its own way.</b> In short, I arrived in a busy airport where everyone was speaking a different language, I found my way to the train and then to the metro with a purse, backpack and suitcase (I sympathize with the handicap. Every station should have a lift (aka elevator)), I felt completely out of place and alone in a new huge city by myself, I almost got run over by a car, I got lost on the street where the hotel is supposed to be and walked around asking random Italians who knew little English where this place was, and then after finally finding it I realized I really should have tried harder to learn Italian this summer, seeing as almost everyone I have met really doesn't know English. Oh and we accidentally ordered 4 pizzas for 4 people for dinner because the lady didn't know English and we knew so little Italian. Lunch tomorrow! </div>
<br />
Yeah, today was stressful in some ways, but I'm so glad that it all happened. I learned that I can do anything I set my mind to, that I have enough street savy to find my way around a new, large, and intimidating city, and also, I was constantly comforted remembering that I have nothing to fear, because God is at my side. He must have given me an extra dose of courage today :)<br />
<br />
In spite of it all, it was a great day for learning and I am so glad to be with some familiar BC faces!<br />
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Tomorrow is a new day!<br />
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God bless you all! Ciao!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-11621690953881402822012-08-27T12:53:00.001-07:002012-08-27T12:53:42.610-07:00Quick update from London<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>We made it safe and sound! </b>Thank you for all of your prayers! I've been up for 2 & 1/2 days now with about 6 hours of sleep, so this will be quick. Sleep is quickly approaching. </div>
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Today we went all around London, avoiding sleep at all costs to try to get into a normal sleep pattern. Our little studio vacation apartment in Hammersmith is quaint. The food has been good. I'm getting really good at using the Tube and I love English accents, English people, and English style. (they are so stylish here!)</div>
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Here is a little preview of a later, more thorough post of frolicking in London...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPUECUjelLhyDWQ9ejnNQNVv_bZFSgbw-NZqTwK-HKg3mYD74TJ6v5XCpvJFCMKXdd4U9a2IZYeWYgRsif5GK5d7mnYgOB1mtNDh-N1hJiG8S1LK5v6EKo1ZU0v9jyToootgbmSbDMqTH/s1600/london1+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPUECUjelLhyDWQ9ejnNQNVv_bZFSgbw-NZqTwK-HKg3mYD74TJ6v5XCpvJFCMKXdd4U9a2IZYeWYgRsif5GK5d7mnYgOB1mtNDh-N1hJiG8S1LK5v6EKo1ZU0v9jyToootgbmSbDMqTH/s400/london1+013.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping dry near the London Eye.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAnj-ANj4RfBIUpibfsXhB7n3rh3alPpmh0f1I-3IQUliuv25kVe4AYO-RyoA_r-Dsvdrhy-mUp1RFfmQJrm8XUAhiy0IlvxNzbx5dsFeFL1ArZzP9Kn0DzVDlZRMNtweh5QN-j1SkY5y/s1600/london1+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAnj-ANj4RfBIUpibfsXhB7n3rh3alPpmh0f1I-3IQUliuv25kVe4AYO-RyoA_r-Dsvdrhy-mUp1RFfmQJrm8XUAhiy0IlvxNzbx5dsFeFL1ArZzP9Kn0DzVDlZRMNtweh5QN-j1SkY5y/s400/london1+032.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serious napping was in order after that flight.<br />
to be continued...</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I will update more in a few days! Tomorrow will be another day of adventures! God bless you all!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Michela</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05266886872137096256noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3753852754435574771.post-6445029895270956802012-08-26T00:14:00.000-07:002012-08-26T00:14:22.783-07:00Countdown: Final stretch and sleep deprived!<div style="text-align: right;">
-jmj</div>
<h3>
Countown: 6 Hours!</h3>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Welp folks, this is it. I have 6 more hours till I'm on a plane to Houston, which will then take me to London. I'm currently trying to stay awake so that I can sleep on the long flight ahead. 14 hours sounds like a miserable amount of time to be fully conscious and confined to a small space so I'm counting on sleeping through most of it. I may be very sleep deprived my first day in London, but I'll hope for the best. </div>
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I'm so excited for this next journey that God has planned for me. I have no idea what it will hold, all of the plans that He has in store for me, and all of the amazing experiences I will have. I'm sure they will be great though! </div>
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I finally finished packing today (as predicted) and my luggage is under weight limits! The last minute things came up, of course, but I am hoping I have everything!</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The hardest part of it all has been saying good bye to my family. I know I'll see them again, but still... I'm going so far away! It's been an amazing summer and I am sad to see it end. </div>
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<h4>
Moment of Clarity:</h4>
As excited as I am about this semester, I have also been very excited to visit Benedictine College (BC for short) when I return. A nice, wise woman today reminded me to really enjoy the time that I have in Italy. It will be an amazing (possibly once-in-a-lifetime) experience and it will fly by! I want to live in the present and experience everything this semester with a grateful heart and open eyes. I'll get to BC eventually... My job for the next 3 months is to live and be present in Italy with 30 amazing other students! Pray for me!<br />
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You are all in my prayers! Hope you are sleeping soundly as I type this... God bless!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Michela</div>
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